Plant Thugs:

Plants That Come With a Warning

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Plant Thugs Copyright Douglas Green 2005

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced or transmitted in any form or in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author.

ISBN 0-9737813-2-7

Dougs home page at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com Dougs Blog at http://www.simplegiftsfarm.com/gardens-gardening-news.html More perennial information at http://www.gardening-tips-perennials.com

Normally an author dedicates a book to somebody they want to honour. Ive dedicated books to my kids, to good friends, to parents. Who would want a book called Garden Thugs dedicated to them? Who would speak to me after such a thing? There are two gentlemen (and I use the term loosely) who could appreciate the fine honour of this moment. These are punsters-in-arms, members of an elite quipping team that has conquered many a dull moment and dulled many a fine moment. These are men who know and give no quarter if they could give a dollars worth of praise. One of whom indicates hell run somewhere if Ill tell him what to do when he gets there. So I did. The other simply feeds me beer and asks me to lift insanely heavy objects so he can nail them to his house. So I did. Good friends both.

I thereby dedicate this tome to the other two Gentlemen and fellow members of SOW Big Thugs to Both of You

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Introduction:

One gardeners curse is anothers blessing. What I would never allow into my garden even in a plastic bag for a five minute visit is welcomed with open arms by other gardeners. These are the certified plant thugs those plants that spread and never met a patch of ground they didnt like. Yes, they make ground covers if you want a plant to cover waste areas laid low by explosions or fire. Yes, they will survive where other plants fear to tred so they do have a point in our garden world. But for the most part, they should be tended in those faraway places and not allowed a toehold in the good garden. Not even allowed a toehold near a good garden. Because make no mistake about it, these plants are only controlled with the most extreme of measures. Once admitted to fertile soil and decent watering, they will smother and take over a garden. They will eat the other plants and smother the life out of them. That is why we call them thugs. You have been warned.

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Aegopodium
Some people think this plant is cute. They actually plant it inside their perennial borders. Then they realize how invasive it was. It will invade and choke out most other perennial plants. Height: 12 inches Flowers: insignificant, dirty white Distance to Plant Apart: A city block or 18 inches Sun or Shade: Yes. Soil: Yes. Although really dry soil tends to make it look quite floppy and ugly Varieties: Believe it or not, this plant comes in a plain green form as well as a green and white leaf variegated form. The variegated variety will revert to green here and there and these should be dug out or they will slowly dominate. Cultural tips: While it seems perverse, this plant can actually look quite attractive in early spring when the foliage is tight and neat. It starts looking floppy and really ugly later on but the cure for that is to run a lawn mower over it (seriously!) or cut it to the ground with a whipper-snipper. The resulting new growth will be tight and compact looking again. And no, this will not (unfortunately) hurt the plant or set it back. To eradicate this plant, start digging. It is relatively easily removed from a garden over a few years. Every bit of plant root you leave underground will resprout a new plant, so it does take a few years of digging to get them all. If the plant is in the sunshine, clear plastic can be used (see sidebar)

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Anemone sylvestris
This is a wonderfully attractive native Anemone with small clear white flowers in midsummer that I let get a foothold in the perennial border at the front of the farm property. Im not sure the perennial border is there any more but I can guarantee you that Anemone is. I never knew a plant that I couldnt get rid of but that one was as close to it as I ever want to see. Pretty little thing but man, could it grow. Height: 18 inches Flowers: 1 inch across, white Distance to Plant Apart: one plant will do it, no need to plant more. Sun or Shade: Seems to prefer sunshine. Soil: did very well in well-drained sandy soils.

Artemesia ludoviciana Silver King and Silver Queen

This is one of those oh-so-fashionable grey or silver leaved plants that garden mavens rave on about. What they dont tell you is that theres a lot of raving to be done. This is a down and out thug (both the king and his queen) and they resemble conquering royalty rather than gracious hosts that share garden space. They do make wonderful cut and dried plants so there is at least one redeeming use for them but they spread too fast to have much use in the main perennial border without a tremendous amount of care. You can shear them in midsummer when they start looking rank and this will bring them into a bushier look. Height: 24 inches Flowers: white sometime in early summer Distance to Plant Apart: 24 inches. Sun or Shade: Full sun if you must Soil: They prefer a well-drained location. Too much fertilizer makes them floppy and then you have a floppy, aggressive plant.

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Eradicating Plants if you Inherit or Accepted a Gift

How to get rid of some of these plant gems is almost a book in itself. It really comes down to several methods and one habit. The habit is the most important and it is perseverance. Unless you persevere at removing these plants, they will return. They are, all kidding aside, genetically designed to survive and spread. You cannot let up for a month; as soon as you see a new shoot or seedling, you must eradicate it. It is that simple. Persevere and youll win. Have a change of heart for a few months and the plant will reestablish itself. Clear plastic. If your garden is in the full sun then clear plastic will work wonders on all these plants. In the early spring, lay clear poly down over top of the area you want to kill off. Seal the edges of the poly so that no air or water can get in and no plant can escape. I would put heavy boards along the edges and/or weight the poly down with rocks and bricks and seal the edges with lots of soil and sand. In the early spring once this is done, youve created a mini-greenhouse under your plastic and the plants will begin growing like youve never seen them grow. They will think theyve died and gone to heaven. After a few weeks / months of this, the plants will start to weaken from the heat and lack of water. Note that the timing is dependent on where you live and the amount of sunlight you get. In Israel where they invented this technique, it takes about six weeks to sterilize the soil, in my USDA zone 4 garden in Canada, I had to leave it on almost to the middle of August (from April) Eventually, the plants are going to go brown and die off. Leave the poly on for another few weeks of heat until all you can see is brown soil. Now you know the plants are likely dead as well as most of the weed seed in that area. You can take the poly off and replant. Digging. Yes, we are talking about shovels here. And combining that with perseverance. Some of the bamboos take a goodly measure of both. Let me suggest you sharpen your shovel with a bastard file before you start digging. A sharp shovel makes the job goes so much faster. When you dig, you have to be very careful to get all the roots even down to small pieces. Most of these plants will start new plants from a small section (pencil thin, half the length of your baby finger) of root. Yes, it is a trial sent from Job. Chemicals: Repeated application of industrial vinegar (10-20% acetic acid) will kill off most weeds. As soon as the plant resprouts, you respray. The vinegar burns the plant off to the ground but it does not kill the roots. The roots have to expend energy to produce a new top. The more and earlier you respray and kill off the tops, the less energy the plant will have. Eventually it will take more than 4 sprays you will kill off the plant. And no, the

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vinegar will not change the pH of the soil at least not for more than a week according to modern research. What about Roundup? In the past, Roundup has been one of those wonder sprays that were extremely effective as well as being environmentally safe. Recent research has pointed out that the one possible reason the worlds frog population is dying out is because Roundup or one of its components is extremely toxic to tadpoles. A bit of this product in the watershed and the tadpole population crashes. There are other reports coming out about the safety of Roundup and given that it is the number one agricultural chemical used in the world today, these reports have to concern us all. Given that vinegar works albeit slower but much safer I have to recommend agricultural vinegar rather than Roundup.

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Cerastium tomentosum
Cerastium or snow in summer is a grey leaved plant that I last saw eating a neighbour's garden quite contentedly. The gardener in question didnt know the plant and accepted a division from a friend who had lots. This is a weedy looking plant with no flowers to speak of that pops up here and there by underground rhizome. It is sold as a ground cover.

Height: 24 inches Flowers: dirty white sometime in early summer Distance to Plant Apart: 24 inches. Sun or Shade: Yes. Sun or part shade Soil: It never met one it didnt like

Houttuynia cordata
This heart shaped leaf plant is purchased by unsuspecting gardeners because of the multihued leaf. It comes in shades of green-white with pink margin tones and is quite attractive. The leaves smell quite pungent when crushed. Height: 12-18 inches Flowers: white in mid-summer if you can find them very small Distance to Plant Apart: 24 Sun or Shade: You get the better leaf colouring in full sun but better overall plant health in part-shade. Soil: Give this plant damp soils and it will literally outgrow anything around. Dry soils will slow it down and make it floppy and scorched looking. So you have a choice of an ugly plant in poor soils or a fast spreading plant in damp or regular soils. This plant spreads by underground rhizomes and as these break easily, it can be difficult to remove by digging. It is, quite interestingly, resistant to many common herbicides.

Lamiastrum galeobdolan 'Variegatum'

I thankfully sold the farm before this plant escaped its bounds out by the driveway and invaded the main flower gardens. One of its common names is Yellow Deadnettle. The flowers are clearly yellow and as other mint relatives, fairly attractive when fresh in early to mid-summer. I think the other half of the name Dead nettle speaks volumes and why anyone would grow a dead nettle is beyond me. I did for a while until it started

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eating other plants in the garden and then I started digging it up. It would make an excellent ground cover for a barren area. Those gardeners who admire this plant (and they exist) suggest it is semi-evergreen. I say that yes, it is frost hardy but that only goes to show how tough it is. They also suggest it wants good soil and moist conditions. This begs the question why it was exploding out in the sandy wastelands of my bone-dry driveway garden. There are two varieties commonly sold in garden centres: 'Herman's Pride' has a more upright growth habit. 'Variegatum' is used as a ground cover Height: vine like ground hugging but will climb up unsuspecting plants to smother them at night. Flowers: yellow fairly attractive Distance to Plant Apart: neighbouring countries should do it but 18-24 is common Sun or Shade: Yes Soil: Yes

Ornamental Grass
And here we run right square into the middle of a modern garden prejudice and conflict. On one hand are the proponents of grass in the landscape for its design effects. On the other are those who have to control this stuff. The key is to pick your battles. To avoid the real spreaders in the grass crowd that can make you life not to mention your back a struggle when it comes to controlling these plants. Understand that your climate is going to have more of an effect on grass plants than any of the others in this book. As an example, Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is invasive in Florida and California and its razor sharp leaves can be a terrible thing to have to fight in digging it up and controlling it.

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In my zone 4 garden, Miscanthus sacchariflorus would behave itself for a few years and then explode across the garden. Its tough root mass was hard on shovels and I bent more than a few shovel handles digging this plant up for sale in the nursery. And Phalaris arundinacea or Ribbon grass is one that should never be planted as its green and white striped leaves are responsible for many a colourful epithet. Having said that, there are some amazing grasses on the market that are quite gorgeous but do not paint them all with the same angelic colouring. This short note is only to warn you that there are thugs in the grass world and if you see one that is reported to establish quickly or grows well then you might do a bit more research before letting it loose in a good garden.

Physalis (Chinese Lantern)

I once saw this plant explode from a concrete in-ground container (it developed a crack) and appeared a few feet outside it. The owner thought it looked cute there and left it. Big mistake. The following season, this plant had spread by underground runner and seeds invading her entire garden and lawn. The lawnmower made reasonably short work of the lawn invader (it merely hid beneath the grass throwing up shoots all summer) but the garden had to have a careful and complete digging up and overhaul. She became expert at identifying and pulling tiny Physalis seedlings. Interestingly enough, she wasnt amused any longer and didnt consider it cute. It is most often grown by gardeners who want to dry the attractive lantern-shaped seed heads. Do yourself a favour and buy the seedheads from some other foolish person. Height: 18 Flowers: orange lantern shaped often used as dried flowers Distance to Plant Apart: why bother setting in two. Give it two years and youll have enough lanterns to light up your neighbourhood. Sun or Shade: sun is best if youre desperate but part shade will work almost equally well Soil: anything from sand to concrete seems to do it. Not sure about heavy clay.

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Lysimachia
I never met a member of this family that didnt like to spread. Some like the short ground hugging L. nummularia are more easily controlled than other species because L. nummularia creeps over the ground and not under it. Those that spread by underground rhizomes can be real dogs to control unless you have a 24/7 sentinel armed with a razor-sharp, stainless steel shovel. I actually like the L. nummularia aurea a goldleaved form of the dwarf plant and found that a dry soil controlled it fairly well. A yearly shovel edging was all it took to control the plant. Lysmachia punctata is a lover of damp soils and youll see it or its variegated sport Alexander (left above) or Golden Alexander sold in garden centres. At 36 inches tall, its yellow flowers are quite showy and this plant does very well when planted in wet soils next to ponds. Does very well could be interpreted as takes off and invaded neighbouring countries. Lysmachia clethroides (left below) is the Gooseneck Loosestrife and it has excellent flowers for cutting and drying. Flower arrangers prize the curled white mid-summer blossoms. I managed to hold this 48-inch plant in one section of garden approximately two feet across for four or five years and decided its reputation for spreading was unwarranted. I moved a small chunk of it into the main garden where the soil wasnt dust dry and was deeper than six inches. It took off. I managed to dig it up in the second year and theres no telling what it might have grown into had I not succeeded then. All do well in full sun or part shade and bloom in mid-summer with white or yellow blossoms.

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Physostegia virginiana
Obedient flower or Dragons Head are two names by which this thug goes by. It is not obedient except if you turn the flower heads, they will tend to stay in that position (hence obedient) It is a good garden performer for a big, wild, blowsy cottage style garden but it is a certified thug in a good soil. All the varieties (possible exception noted below) behave in a thuglike manner. I once planted a new variety next to a rose bush in an island bed where it gave a good display for two years and then exploded when I wasnt looking. I spent the next three years digging it out of the entire bed. Silly me! I should have known better but I have to try these things out.

Height: 36 Flowers: whites and shades of pink or violet pink Distance to Plant Apart: 18 to 24 inches Sun or Shade: prefers sun but will grow well in part shade Soil: any place but good, well-fertilized and moist soils to control its spread Im told that the new variety Miss Manners is a clump forming plant and not a spreader. Id have to see it to believe it but maybe

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Polygonum cuspidatum
This plant is sometimes called knotweed or smartweed. Which tells you one thing it is a weed. It also tells you that it is knotty and you arent smart if you plant it (it is smart if it gets planted) Height: 48 inches Flowers: white sometime in early summer Distance to Plant Apart: 24 inches. Sun or Shade: Yes. Sun or part shade Soil: It really likes damp soil. Put it there and you have to stand back very quickly after youve backfilled the pot. It comes out of the ground so fast that unwary gardeners have had ankles broken by spreading shoots.

It spreads by underground rhizomes and these will travel goodly distances over the course of a growing season. I note that Polygonum alpinum is a 3 to 5 foot tall, white blooming plant. It thrives in full sun or part shade and puts on a magnificent show of white blooms. Not overly aggressive but it does spread by underground rhizomes. Do not mistake this plant for Polygonatum or Solomons Seal a rather more refined woodlander with only slight spreading tendencies.

Sedum Acre
This sedum is a noxious weed, is listed as the same in many provincial and state weed books and is still sold by production nurseries by the truck full. It is a gorgeous fluorescent yellow when in bloom and quite seductive. What they dont tell you is that each blossom has a gazillion seeds and these are dispersed quite easily by wind or animal. Not only that but any teensy, tiny section of this plant is quite capable of rooting if detached from the mother plant to form its own colony. The plant is virtually indestructible in winter cold. It should never be allowed into rock gardens (or other gardens for that matter) Height: 1 inch tall Flowers: fluorescent yellow in early summer Distance to Plant Apart: 1 mile or 18 inches depending on your sense of sanity Sun or Shade: Yes. Sun or part shade Soil: From sand to rock

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Words to Beware:
Establishes quickly - means in two weeks it will be three feet across Spreading - it will attack you while you are sleeping Invasive comes with its own artillery Easy to grow and grow, and grow and grow Ground cover leaves no plant uncovered, smothers all expensive plants first. Specimen plant - leave it alone by itself Hardy - requires a personal nuclear device to eradicate Grows in tough places - so did Genghis Khan A good beginner plant - theyre the only ones whod spend money on it everybody else is digging it out of their gardens Will grow anywhere - but particularly in your best garden area ignoring the waste area you want covered. Neighbour - as in my neighbour gave me this plant. Unspeakable! Which is what normally happens after you discover what the plant is doing to your garden and you no longer want to see the neighbour, never mind speak to her. Plant Sale - where neighbours try to charge for their excess hardy, beginner plants that will establish quickly in your garden and grow anywhere.

I hope you enjoy this Plant Thug ebook. Feel free to write and tell me of your own plant thug adventures. Ill update and change this book based on reader feedback. Doug

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