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Pernicious Weed!

We have had a year trying to bring some order to a neglected garden but now have a weed coming up everywhere - in paths, beds and the lawn.

It seems to propagate by numerous little bulblets and (I think) has yellow flowers as well. The leaves are dark green and the stem bright white.

I would be grateful for some advice as how to get rid of it before it takes over completely!

image image

Posts

  • Dave HumbyDave Humby Posts: 1,145

    Looks like it could be Lesser Celandine. Dig it out, including the bulbs is what I try and do as we have it here in the lawn. Many of the weedkillers developed for lawns will work on this plant when it's in the growing season. 

  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    I like it and it will disappear after a few weeks in any case.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    Looks to me like Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)   its sunny flowers are one of the first signs of spring

    http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/C/Celandine(Lesser)/Celandine(Lesser).htm 

    It can be quite invasive, but the leaves die down by midsummer and that's the last you see of them until they appear again about now.  They are very difficult to get rid of as the roots have little ;'nodules' which get left behind, when you try to dig them up, and every nodule grows into a new plant.  If they're in grass it's often thought better to leave them to do their thing and just mow after flowering to keep them under control.

    I'm afraid I love their sunny smiling faces on the banks in spring image... I grow the less invasive form 'Brazen Hussy' http://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/plant-finder/ficaria-verna-brazen-hussy/ 

    Last edited: 10 January 2018 16:19:41


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • sal42sal42 Posts: 2

    Thank you everyone...nice to know it is a favourite wildflower for some people....

    Most of the "garden" was docks and nettles when we arrived, we are winning that battle at least!

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    Just keep mowing the areas where you don't want them, and don't mow as much where they'd be welcome to smile at you image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307

    There are actually a rather large number of named forms with flower colour from pure white to deep orange, doubles, green flowered and lots of different leaf colouration too. Sadly there does not seem to be a good source of all these forms any more.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147

    Some lovely ones here http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=11563.0 

    Don't know whether that forum knows of any suppliers image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505

    Bali

    Celandines,Spanish bluebells - they come, they delight/annoy - they disappear.

    In a few months time you'll probably have forgotten about them. 

    In London. Keen but lazy.
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