first one, lirope, last one ribbon grass

#2 Variegated Bishop's Weed (Aegopodium podagraria 'Variegata')

I hope you really like the aegopodium because you are pretty much stuck with it forever. It's one of the most aggressive, invasive, and difficult plants to remove. It spreads both by seed and especially by runners. The variegated form is often sold as ground cover under the name "Snow on the Mountain." Unfortunately it has a bad habit of sending out runners that revert back to the green species. Those then take off and will swallow up other plants. My neighbor has it in her garden. It has since spread over a portion of the adjacent city park and is constantly invading my garden. There are stories of people covering huge patches of it with black plastic and heaps of mulch and leaving it for several years, only to discover that it still managed to survive. It's also known as goutweed, bishop's weed, and ground elder. I just call it a string of curses whenever I see more of it sprouting up in my beds.

The variegated Phalaris grass is also a runner---beware.

there appears to be a reason you found them in the garbage ... lol ... ken

Sorry to add another negative comment, but #2 (Aegopodium podagraria) and #3 (Phalaris arundinacea) are are on Massachusetts's prohibited plants list (I'm assuming you're in Mass. based on your Houzz name, though perhaps not). It doesn't mean that you're required to destroy the ones in your yard, but they are not allowed to be sold or otherwise traded in the state.

Could anyone suggest alternatives for these plants? I'm not much into variegated foliage, but I do have some of that variegated Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'). It's non-native but not considered invasive as far as I know.

flowergirl70ks,

Thank you for your feedback. The only problem with liriope as the name for the first one is that the plant I have produces small black things when it blooms as opposed to the purple ones that appear when I google "liriope." Could there be another close relative to the liriope?

But I think you're spot on with ribbon grass in terms of the last photo! :) I did not know that this is what is was called. When I googled "ribbon grass" the photos were just like the plant that I have.

Really appreciate the feedback.

Sandyslopes,

I think you're right with Variegated Bishop's Weed in terms of my second photo! This is really helpful. Thanks.

jnavarro31,

I do not mind the Variegated Bishop's Weed. I don't why you feel that it's had to get rid of. Maybe there's something I'm missing but it seems really easy to uproot.

Ribbon Grass (last photo), on the other hand can be tricky to uproot because it spreads really fast.

WoodsTea,

Thanks for the info on #2 and #3. Personally, I don't think the two plants are that bad as to require the prohibitions you mention. But what do I know? :)

Of the three, I've only grown the goutweed, and it took six years to finally get rid of it in my garden. As pretty as it looks, it's a garden thug. I've heard nightmare stories about ribbon grass too.

Bostonoak, the variegated goutweed isn't terrible - at first - so long as you manage to keep it contained. However, it will continually send out runners, and some of those runners will revert to the green form. That's when it becomes a real bear to get rid of. You may think you are pulling it up easily, but I guarantee you that you are leaving pieces of the roots behind, and those will continue to spread and to send up new shoots. If you have it completely hemmed in by concrete and you snip off the flowering heads before they set seed, you might be fine. But there is a reason it is considered a pernicious weed and why some states have banned its sale. There are far less aggressive and more attractive groundcovers you can use instead. Most lamium varieties, for example, are far nicer than goutweed and much less aggressive.

It seems you like it, so my only hope is that you do your best to prevent it from spreading to your neighbor's yards and gardens.

I echo the above. You cannot "pull" goutweed. The stems and roots are very brittle and just break with even mild force and then regrow from the smallest piece. You can dig it up and sift all the root bits out of the soil, but it's very time consuming and tedious, and you'll miss a few bits that send up shoots that will need to be hit with roundup or redug.

I have both the grass and the bishops weed under control although I await the day when they escape my restraints.

First, I hear that here in CT Bishops weed is so invasive that it is actually illegal to transplant even on your own property. How they will enforce that I don't know but it should get ones attention just knowing that.

As for the grass, I removed the bottom of a 7" pot and sunk that into the ground. I then planted the grass into it. So far after 4 years, no runners have escaped.

Bishop's weed is around a dogwood tree and is retained with a 4" plastic sunken barrier. It works very well. In other places in my back yard, I keep it under control with a constant plucking out of the leaves and roots if possible. Fortunately, it is an area where its presence is not all that much of a problem.

It is growing in a day lily bed so getting the roots is a problem. However, with almost any plant you can kill it off it you prevent it from sprouting leaves when prevents the roots from getting any nutrients from chlorophyll. I get out there about one a month or less and just pick the leaves. It is really not that much work and over a year or two, there is considerable less of it.

I have had Bishop weed for 20 years. What is one man's weed is another man's treasure. I have not had any problem of reverting or taking over any plants. I have it in my sun garden and shade garden. When there is more than I want I pull it out in the Spring about every three years. I do not like mulch so I look for ground cover in my gardens.

I have more problems getting rid of creeping charlie than Bishop weed. I pulled it all out around my small pond and it did not come back. I planted it back because I did not like what I replaced it with.

I too find that creeping charlie is not al that difficult to contend with. In the fall when the perennials die back, and again in the spring before they sprout leaves, I pluck the charlie. At these times, it is not only easy top find but also easy to pull. Yes, I leave some in one location for effect.

I forget the name of it but there is another plant that I believe is a relative to the charlie and it is about 6 - 8" tall just as much of an issue but now it actually looks good being a much taller bloom.

In the lawn is another problem. Whether or you control it by chemical or naturally applicants, If you are going to deal with it, you have to attack when it first blooms.

Interesting but I have noticed that Bishops weed and Charlie do not seem to like each other. They do not seem to live together.

Love it or not, you can purchase the seed. (:

I control Bishop's Weed by pulling off the leaves about once every other month. As is with any plant, you eventually kill it off by preventing the roots from getting any nutrients from the leaves.

sorry .... i didnt mean to be negative. ... what i meant was that you will also end up needing to throw gobs of it away.. in the future... so yours will also end up at the curb .... because if you throw them in a compost pile.. they will start growing there.. lol ...

every plant has its place ... if you just want to cover some ground.. this is the stuff ...

if you want a self contained plant for a small space.. these probably arent it ...

just keep having fun ... ken

"I'm not much into
variegated foliage, but I do have some of that variegated Solomon's Seal
(Polygonatum odoratum 'Variegatum'). It's non-native but not considered
invasive as far as I know."

I vote for Solomon's Seal. It has been in my garden in dense shade of a long needle pine for over 20 years. It behaves well and puts on a good show.

I love Solomon's Seal too. I think anything can be called aggressive if it is where you do not want. Grass, is aggressive but we plant that stuff too. I love foliage so I try to use it everywhere. My area has a termite problem so most gardens use pine needles I like plant ground cover.

Adding a warning re Bishops Weed. It has been a constant battle that I will never win. (PNW garden). It is so entwined in some lovely and mature plants that I will never get rid of it.

It is definitely a sneak and will look like a peaceable neighbor until one day you see it everywhere, and yes it often reverts to green.

I have a friend who has it as a groundcover under her white birches set in a green lawn. It looks gorgeous and she controls it by mowing around the perimeter. So far , so good but I imagine the seed will eventually make it to her perennial beds across the yard.

i guess I second the opinion to take the word of experienced gardeners re the possibiity of invasion. You may be lucky and somehow keep it where it belongs but there are thousands of plants to choose from without risking thugery. just a friendly warning from one who has made many gardening "errors".

Boston, the first plant looks more like Mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) to me. Whether that or the Liriope, both have spikes of dark purple/black berries following their blue/purple flowers.

I think what should be considered is zone of what is aggressive. My heart sinks when I see all the lovely Roses that some can grow with very little issues except some small problems. I cannot grow many because of being tender to handle my winters even with deep cover.

There are so many plants that are band in certain states that are not band in others. There is a reason........ because of weather. To say a plant is too aggressive in one zone may not be true in another.

All we can be is experienced gardeners for our climate. I have no idea what will happen in a zone 3.

what are these plants called'?

nightmares.

Liriope has never been a problem for me but the other two are H*LL NO! at my house....

While we are on the subject of garden pests, tell me how to get rid of red oxalis, stars of bethlehem, and wild spiderwart.

My neighbor is a garden pest...

(:

In that first picture, bottom and lower left, is that Euphorbia? Maybe that is the plant in question or just coincident?

I have had luck by mulching them just before they bloom. Grass clippings, very thick, very dense. It may take more than one year but if you deprive them of getting light to make chlorophyll you deprive the bulb of nutrients. Of course this may affect other bulbs/plants growing in the area. For me, they were all in one location.