Knowledgebase
Planting Lamium #926941
Asked March 28, 2026, 8:09 AM EDT
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
Aside from a potential invasiveness/weediness issue, in general we don't recommend a mass planting of any one species, since it is a bigger risk for a future issue (pest or disease outbreak, or weather injury) causing damage to the entire planting rather than just a few plants in a multi-species planting. The more species are used in a planting area, the more resilient that planting is, since each species has its own vulnerabilities that won't necessarily overlap and succumb to the same problems.
Lamium maculatum is a spreading groundcover; individual plants could be installed a couple feet (more or less) from each other and they will fill in to form a solid carpet. If you are open to alternative plants, you can find some ideas on our Groundcovers web page, including some species that are native and which support wildlife (pollinators, birds, etc.).
Regardless of which species you use in the future planting, if you wanted to buy some soon and plant them in a temporary location, moving them later into the new beds, that might work, but some plants deal with transplant stress better than others. Early autumn is a great time to install many shrubs and perennials, so if you can't plant in spring, and don't want to deal with the greater need for watering attention in summer, planting that time of year can be successful, and sometimes nurseries have inventory on sale at the end of the growing season. Or, to similarly reduce costs, if you're installing native plants in particular, there is an increasing availability of plugs, which are easy to plant, cost less, and establish just as quickly as larger plants and catch up in growth faster than it may appear due to their size difference. Plugs are young plants that are older than seedlings but younger than typical nursery inventory; many are only a few dollars per plant. You would space plugs the same as you would an older specimen of the same type of plant, which will depend on how large that species tends to grow and how rapidly (or not) they spread, since you don't want to crowd them too much and risk disease outbreaks due to the reduced air circulation between plants.
Miri
I would appreciate clarifying one point so that I may make the most informed decision for my site.
Given that context, I wanted to check whether your concerns about potential spread or ecological impact would still apply in a fully enclosed, actively maintained residential foundation bed like this.
If you feel that the ecological concerns remain relevant even in this type of contained ornamental setting, I would appreciate understanding more about the specific risks. Conversely, if Lamium is considered low‑risk when used in a defined, managed bed, that would be helpful to know.
Indika
Dear Indika, here's the response to your question:
Lamium maculatum, which we presume is the species you're considering, is a non-native perennial that thrives in woodland settings or shade. It has spread a bit into natural areas in Maryland, and while it's not currently labeled as an invasive species, we would discourage its planting out of caution so it doesn't turn into one. There are two other species of Lamium that are abundant weeds found across the state. (There are no native Lamium in our region.)
Aside from a potential invasiveness/weediness issue, in general we don't recommend a mass planting of any one species, since it is a bigger risk for a future issue (pest or disease outbreak, or weather injury) causing damage to the entire planting rather than just a few plants in a multi-species planting. The more species are used in a planting area, the more resilient that planting is, since each species has its own vulnerabilities that won't necessarily overlap and succumb to the same problems.
Lamium maculatum is a spreading groundcover; individual plants could be installed a couple feet (more or less) from each other and they will fill in to form a solid carpet. If you are open to alternative plants, you can find some ideas on our Groundcovers web page, including some species that are native and which support wildlife (pollinators, birds, etc.).
Regardless of which species you use in the future planting, if you wanted to buy some soon and plant them in a temporary location, moving them later into the new beds, that might work, but some plants deal with transplant stress better than others. Early autumn is a great time to install many shrubs and perennials, so if you can't plant in spring, and don't want to deal with the greater need for watering attention in summer, planting that time of year can be successful, and sometimes nurseries have inventory on sale at the end of the growing season. Or, to similarly reduce costs, if you're installing native plants in particular, there is an increasing availability of plugs, which are easy to plant, cost less, and establish just as quickly as larger plants and catch up in growth faster than it may appear due to their size difference. Plugs are young plants that are older than seedlings but younger than typical nursery inventory; many are only a few dollars per plant. You would space plugs the same as you would an older specimen of the same type of plant, which will depend on how large that species tends to grow and how rapidly (or not) they spread, since you don't want to crowd them too much and risk disease outbreaks due to the reduced air circulation between plants.
Miri
The website Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool, which catalogs known or potential invasives beyond our region, does show many instances where this species has been observed growing where it was not planted (see the linked page for a map). Interestingly, the MD counties indicated on that map don't match completely with the counties indicated on the Maryland Biodiversity Project map, a non-profit which catalogs observations all living species in the state, native or otherwise. That may imply that Lamium maculatum has spread a bit more than has been reported to either one of those databases.
The plant may be comparatively low-risk for invasiveness at present, but it's hard to predict if or when that may change. Lamium maculatum cultivars have long been sold at area nurseries, as has crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia), and the latter has only recently been observed spreading from seed in some areas, possibly aided by milder winters.
Miri
Dear Miri,
Thank you for your detailed explanation. I appreciate it.
If I may, I would like your advice on a separate horticultural issue. I have had a long‑standing problem with running bamboo spreading from my neighbor’s property into mine. The bamboo crossed the property line, damaged my wooden fence, and requires annual removal on my side. The neighbor’s railroad‑tie retaining wall is also collapsing onto my property as a result of the bamboo.
I reported the bamboo encroachment to the City of Takoma Park when it first became apparent, but the City did not require a containment barrier on the neighbor’s side, even though the bamboo had already begun spreading. The ordinance requires a barrier, but the arborist did not deem it necessary.
Given your expertise, I would appreciate your guidance on the horticultural best practices in situations like this:
• What is the recommended standard for containing running bamboo to prevent damage to adjacent properties?
• Is a physical rhizome barrier installed at the appropriate depth considered the accepted method of preventing spread from the source?
• When bamboo has already crossed a property line and caused structural damage, is removal and installation of a barrier typically necessary to prevent recurrence and before rebuilding a fence?
• In your experience, does failure to install a barrier generally result in repeated encroachment even after removal on the affected property?
I am trying to understand the horticultural standards so that I can advocate for a lasting solution. The cost of replacing the fence is substantial, and I would like to ensure the bamboo is prevented from re‑entering my property before doing so. Any insight you can provide would be helpful.
Thank you,
Indika
Hi Indika,
A rhizome barrier is the only way to contain bamboo, and you would definitely want to install one before replacing a fence. Repeated manual removal will not be successful long-term, as it can spread so quickly.
Maryland state law passed a bill a few years ago about containing bamboo on your property from running, so we are not sure why an arborist or the city would say it isn't necessary.
You can refer to our Bamboo Containment resource for further information. Perhaps a professional advocate on your side would help resolve the matter? You could search for a conservation landscape professional on the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals webpage.
Emily
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 31, 2026, at 1:11 PM, Ask Extension wrote:
You mentioned that the city did not require a containment barrier on the neighbor’s side, but that the ordinance requires a barrier, so we aren't sure if that means there is a local regulation concerning bamboo containment or not. Perhaps you can speak to local municipal government to advocate for a bamboo restriction to be enacted, as the state-level bill allowed, and hopefully it won't need to escalate to involving a legal advisor as to what your rights are for getting help containing the plant. A 2018 UMD blog article by an Extension legal specialist noted that, unfortunately, legal support might not be on your side, but we do not know if any legal framework has changed in that time: "What Can I Do About My Neighbor’s Plants Coming Onto My Property?"
Miri
