If you knew then ...

what you are now dealing with - which invasive plants would you have avoided?

When our new garden beds were empty four years ago I gladly took anything that came my way - except violets because I'd been warned about them. Now I am busy weeding out "obedient plants" (Physostegia virginiana) that I loved for their fall flowers; the spearmint that escaped its pot and as soon as it stops blooming, what I think is wood anemone will be relegated to a wooded area as a ground cover.

Seeing another post about ivy makes me glad I turned that down recently but I fear I will soon be complaining about bee balm, pachysandra and other plants.

I love four'oclocks for their fragrance but if I knew then what I know now, I'd thought twice before planting one in a small flower border. They multiply by tubers that seem to crawl under ground to any where they want to pop up. I'm sure the seeds blew everywhere in this particular bed. I'm constantly digging up 4'oclock seedlings and tubers then transplanting them to parts unknown where I don't mind them wondering.

I have two beds of bee balm... and the only thing that stops it in my garden is concrete or plastic edging. When folks say they don't have a problem with it spreading, I wonder if they are planting in concrete soil... or have only had it for a few months :) I can only grow it with things like cannas, lantana, and gingers.. things that are indestructible and can't be run over by this plant.. Plants that I've had to move for being pushed out of the bee balm bed.. have inevitably shown little baby balms growing out of the transplanted soil and I pull it immediately before it takes hold and wants to take over.. I will continue to grow it, as I do enjoy the flowers and the bees, but it's a bed hog! :)

It does grow in damp soil, and I have such a place. I'm going to drop a large pot into the ground in the bed and keep an eye on it to keep it from spreading.

I planted obedient plants in the fall.. will I wait and see with that one too?? :)

I've got the pachysandra too! I have Lilly of the valley and will be growing in an area that it can run through.

:)

Susan

Chameleon plant, pachysandra, green liriope, vinca, siberian iris, crocosmia. Oh by the way, anybody want some of these?

Brenda

Ahh, yes, crocosmia. I have completely pulled them up from a bed two years running and they have still returned. But, they are easy to pull up and usually have eager takers at plant swaps.

My chameleon plant is slow growing so far. Found out that what I thought was wood anemone is perennial geranium of some sort. That really is encroaching on everything else. I'm avoiding pulling them out as I know I'd lose some other plants in the process.

LoL Brenda,
Do you mean vinca minor? I have heard that the vinca major is not as invasive. I planted 2 veragated vinca major 2 years ago and have about 10 vines that rooted and are sprouting up. I am keeping a very close eye on it. If it ends up becoming invasive its outta here! Last month I pulled out and then did the roundup thing to all the Creeping rasberry that became a problem.
chris
edited to add Nandina to the wouldnt have planted it list. It is also comming out soon, definetly gonna be a job, but at least it doesnt have tubers. It drops probably 50 seedling a year. They pull out by hand unless they are there till next season then they are about 1' and cant be pulled out by hand.

This message was edited May 8, 2007 10:36 PM

I was feeling alil murderous just the other day. If my hubby or son had seen me, they woldnt have believed Mom would be standing above her small lil front bed with dusty hands full of fearthy foliage and roots.Not only hands full, but cussing under her breath.
Yarrow... argh! If I had only known, I would have left it planted in teh yard of SC where we rented for 4 years. I had just planted Colorado yarrow.. and it was so pretty ! Now it comes up everywhere from roots, smothering everything around it. It doenst even still have its pastel colors! sheesh!
My beebalm doesnt get crazed.. but then I dont have as much sun as it likes to truly thrive. That and the deer chomp it before it can bloom. wah.

Yarrow?? Seriously??

I just planted what I grew from seed..

Susan

Spider Wort.

Jim!! HA!! And I'm the recipient of your Spider Wort!! I've got plenty of it too! it's pretty though :) AND the Bee Balm that's all over one of the two beds!! I had no idea at the time that your plants were movers and shakers!! Live and learn... I guess every new gardener getting plants from a sharing friend should figure it out eventually!! :)

Susan

Mexican petunia's. UGGGGGG Don't ever plant these unless you want them to take over the entire bed. I constantly am pulling them up out of my front perennial bed. Still don't have them under control. The roots just keep running. Any suggestions other than ripping out the entire bed?
Arlene

I was never really sure if it was vinca major or minor but in looking at plantfiles, I believe it is major. It took about 5 years but it overtook a large area. It was encroaching my hostas and I had to start pulling. It is more in check now that I am watching it...

yep, I forgot about the yarrow, that was pulled out a couple of years ago and I still have some growing in the lawn.
There are also 3 wild mimosa trees about 10' onto my neghbors property, I probably pull about 10...2" volunteers every week out of the beds.
chris

I really had to think about whether I wanted a mimosa offered in trade.. I read all the comments and decided to admire it from afar. :)

Susan

Susan, I have two mimosa's that I was given about four years ago when they were only a few inches. One flowers and the other does not. Both have grown very quickly and are about 15ft high. I haven't had any volunteers from the seeds (yet!). I enjoy them and the shade they offer but they do have the reputation of "junk trees" that won't last long and I probably wouldn't grow them again.

May I add Labrador violets and Lysimacchia (creeping Jenny) to the list? I think I've ranted before about pachysandra (Japanese, not the native ones) and Vinca minor that I have been battling. I have been making sweeps for Labrador violet seedlings (they're everywhere) and haven't had a day when I didn't find more pachysandra, since it roots so deeply. My chameleon plant bed is surrounded by hard clay and it's beginning to make a little headway into the clay! Uh-oh.

Several people have asked me to bring Creeping Jenny to the swap, and I'm doing it, but with reservations. I think it should only be kept in pots. It is really lovely, but it is spreading its tendrils everywhere, DESPITE the fact that the deer knosh on it during certain seasons. Now that's a predatory plant! Sheila

Soulgardenlove,
oh yes- seriously. ugh! I love teh feathery foliage.. it' s so delicate looking. Its a cover. Underneath is a rambunctious root system waiting for you to turn your back on it. It mya take a year or two for it to settle in.. then *Whammy!* Right when you least expect it. lol

Oh, I forgot to mention Asiatic lilies. My Mom-in-law thought I just had to have some. Why was it that only after I planted the few she gave me , did she start to rant about how hard it was to keep them out of everything in thier vicinity (including nearby pots)? At least thier spiky lil heads are easy to identify!

(and why is it I cant train the deer to eat those plants?!?)

Ninnian

Shelia.. Your bringing me a bag of the creeping jenny!! :) Love it!! I need it for a slight slope.. A friend has it and he just trims back and pulls where he doesn't want it to grow.. Not a problem for me!!

I saw chameleon plant at an orphan table at an RU and loved the foilage.. brought it home and had to look it up before planting... Thank goodness I did!! Walter Reeves calls it "satans ground cover"!!

Susan

Susan -- I am thinking of trying Walter Reeves' bamboo barrier solution for our chameleon plant bed. He digs a trench around the bed and lines the perimeter with 2' wide metal flashing. Problem is there are some tree roots in the way, so I need hubby's help. And I'm bringing you an entire BOX of creeping jenny, lined with plastic and wet newspapers (I'll do that the morning of the swap). I know you really, really want it, and I really, really want the stuff back to a manageable amount. It doesn't have deep roots, or I wouldn't even have offered it. I wouldn't give Pachysandra or Chameleon plant to my worst enemy, they're so deeply rooted. Sheila

Don't forget that some of these plants do have a place in the garden.
For instance. My friend had a block wall bordering her property. It held up the neighbors yard, and was directly against my friend's driveway at the bottom. The thing was so unattractive, and we were planning on parties back there.
It was quite shady, so we planted some aucuba on top, to screen out the neighbors view, (who was not fond of parties and was rather grumpy) and planted vinca to cascade down the wall. The vinca did not have any place to root into - so it was beautiful. The perfect use for the plant. No more block wall, and very little work to hide it.

I too have had my share of planting (or nature planting) things I don't want in my garden where they like to be (blue spiderwort is my bain in the back yard) - however at times there is a great time and place for many of these plants.

Glynis

Wow, and to think I paid for both the pachysandra and chameleon. The chameleon is actually gorgeous in the sun in a pot of course!!

And the variegated pachysandra is not invasive at all - in fact, rather slow.

Yes G!! I just did the vinca in a planter yesterday.. Love it!! Also.. After seeing the gooseneck loosestrife in the pf files around a tree and completely growing from the egde to the trunk... well, now I'm in the market for it.. I thought I was getting it in trade.. but the box was filled with lots of other goodies and not this.. I will find it somewhere. http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/117300/

Shelia, I am most grateful :) I'm really trying to limit the amount of things I both ask for and bring, as I am now certainly realizing that I am not the superwoman that I had previously believed. It breaks my heart when things die due to neglect for not being planted out and watered in time.. I'm planning on the creeping Jenny and the place is ready.. so it WILL get planted!! Thanks!! :) Spwaking of bamboo.. there is a groove of it nearby and the owner lets me go and cut it down for my yard stakes.. Love it for that!! But would never plant it here. :)

G, your still riding with me next weekend right?? :)

I love my spiderwart still! :)

Susan

Soul, Thripmaster would throttle me if I didn't get to the trade. I think I've filled the truck for her. You've left me some room, huh?
I had gooseneck loostrife twice. Once here, I loved it but it started to travel too far and I don't have a good spot for it, like the one you picture which can be mowed around. Then I planted it at church. I fried it there. Our beds can get so dry there, that it was hopeless.

There is someone on Brownwood Ave who has loosestrife in their shade garden surrounded by rocks. I've always liked it there. It is an excellent bouquet filler!

GGG

Susan,

I have gooseneck loosestrife - want me to bring you some?

Brenda

Great photo of the gooseneck loosestrife. I agree that plants are only problems when planted in the wrong place. There are huge planters with trees and Vinca in Midtown that look perfect.

Susan - Don't worry about planting the Creeping Jenny. You can literally toss it onto bare earth and it will grow. I visited a gardener in Fayetteville yesterday who said she didn't intend to plant it, but just pulled it from a color bowl, tossed it aside to pick up later. In our yard, I figured out that the deer dropping it from their mouths "planted" it in one area. And you're not alone on the superwoman idea. I dug potted some stuff up to bring today, and it's so little but tired me out. Sheila

Satan's groundcover???LOL You are too funny. I am still complaining after I bought a pot last year and hubby didn't water it while I was at my dads. I tell him he still owes me another plant. I wanted to try to grow it under two trees that nothing will survive under because of the roots, don't really care if it goes wild. He can run it over with the lawnmower if it ge†s out of hand. LOL!!!

Susan

Raggedyann, are you coming to Azalea's swap next weekend?

Brenda

No Brenda, I'm sorry I can't make it this year. Going to a family reunion at my dads and some of his siblings I've never met. We will make history! :)

Sorry y'all... just got back in from a lake/friends party/baseball weekend. whew!! Okay.. time for me to focus on the RU now!! I can't believe I still have dahlia tubers that haven't been planted.. This is when polygamy sounds like a good idea... I need an extra wife around here!! :)

Enjoy Susan!!

Brenda.. I'd really love the gooseneck... I'd love to do the same as in the pic!! :) Looks like I'd only need one and it would cover in no time :) Thanks so much :) Do you want a moonvine for it?? :)

Shelia.. I'm about to list my "haves" so please let me know what i can bring ya
:)

Okay G.. I'm going to leave you plenty of room and it will work out fine. Robin will get all of her plants :) I will call you later this week for finalization of the details.. :) I also have lots of wooden wine crates we can use to stack plants if needed.

Jim..are you still on this thread?? Are you coming?? Is Bobbie Okay?? Can you come??

:)
Susan

This message was edited May 14, 2007 4:45 PM

The chameleon really is Satan's groundcover. I bought a pot of it. Sat the pot on a clay saucer in a semi-shaded area. A friend saw it and said 'oh no - that's what I have and it went ALL OVER my yard!' - so I decided I'd give it away. Which I did. A couple of weeks later I decided to have two big, old holly bushes removed. They were about 6' in diameter and collected all manner of pine needles and leaves... so out they went. At the base of one... was a growing curling bit of chameleon. It had to have jumped the pot and traveled in 3' into the very sharp holly.

What if I had not had that holly removed at that time...???

Creepy plant. Pretty but creepy.

Sterling

Thanks for that story... I was wondering if I should have just kept it in a pot.. it's composted mulch now.

Susan

Yeah Susan, I tried calling you today but didn't get an answer. I still haven't got the shift at work but the man will be there tomorrow so I will find out for sure if he will swap with me.

Hope so -- sorry I missed you :( It's been kinda crazy

Susan

I know it's on my trade list and can be grown nicely under certain conditons, like in the woods, where you don't care if it spreads, but Porcelin Vine drops it's little grape everywhere and they all sprout but easy to pull up. Maybe it would give Poison Ivy a run for it!!

St. John.s wort, the real thing, not the variety on my trade list- it has pretty chrome yellow flowers but it spreads by creeping and I have a whole area to get it out of!

Japanese Knotweed- horribly invasive- I bought a variegated one years ago and when I read up on it, I couldn't even give it away with a clear conscience so it went in black plastic and cooked!

Some that may be invasive- Tiger lilies- the bulbils spread everywhere and the same with the native begonia- the bulbils spread around, downhill in my case, but I still love the airy pink flowers later in the season when much garden color is gone. Luckily my Spider Wort is confined by concrete and has anyone mentioned Toadlilies? There are just a few fast growing ones, luckily, but they can take over a bed pretty quickly.

Brenda

I have an image in my head where most of the plants I have will "war-ing" it out complete with swords and grenades. The victor will take over the whole yard. Will it be the bee-balm? mint? chameleon plant? pachysandra? creeping jenny? yarrow? crocosmia? obedience plants? monkey grass? nandina? wild alstroemeria? or one of the other many "vigorous" growers? Place your bets now!

Porcelain Vine is on the list of super invasives - the seeds get distributed by birds and it is prolific and choking out native plants anywhere it falls.

I bought one, looked it up on the net and put in in a plastic bag in the trash. I didn't even want to take it back to the nursery. I had the variegated kind - sooo pretty!

http://www.walterreeves.com/qa_display.phtml?qaID=1902
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/vines/ampelopsis_brevip.html

Artgal,
I'll take yarrow for 5... and creeping jenny in second :D
(I must admit, that was quite the visual you managed for me!)

aqnd I had no idea what porcelain vine was.. I think its what I beat back into teh woods every so often... interesting!

Nin

My bets:

bee-balm? ..Lovely but needs her own bed
mint? Love it in pots :)
chameleon plant? Love it in pictures.. put it in the trash
pachysandra? Planted still Love it still
creeping jenny? Super love it
yarrow? Just planted it from seed.. we'll see
crocosmia? Want it
obedience plants? got it planted we'll see.. and have some in pots fro the trade if anyone else wants some
monkey grass? hmm.. one I don't have.. Is this lierope?? No problem here
nandina? Love the berrys and planted more in the back
wild alstroemeria?..don't think I know it
St. John.s wort, the real thing-- Got it love it and it can be cut back to the ground each year and I haven't had a runner yet??
Japanese Knotweed.. yes the green one's a thug and the verigated one stays more well behaved.. have it for the RU and have looked it up in the PF's. Love the leaves..

One that a gardener friend wont grow is morning glories..Love it!

Susan

Susan I will bring you some crosomia to the roundup. You will be sorry. LOL

Hey, did anybody mention Japanese wisteria? ...bamboo? My DH has a particular loathing for both, having fought them at a previous home. I find both attractive plants, but he'd divorce me if I planted either. Have told him that I may yet try to grow bamboo in a pot. I had a clumping bamboo in Louisiana, but I'm told y'all don't have a clumping variety that works up here in "the north." North Georgia, that is. I have wondered now that they've officially changed the planting zones, whether my old clumping bamboo would make it up here. Sheila