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Houttuynia Flame - Have I put my foot in it?

d.bowers237RE5ssKtAd.bowers237RE5ssKtA Posts: 3
in Problem solving
Hi,

Newbie gardener here so please forgive my general lack of understanding :)

Last summer I bought a Houttuynia Cordata 'flame' from the garden center and planted it in the border of my back garden. Now 6 months later, upon googling I am finding numerous horror stories about this plant completely over-running gardens, choking out all neighboring plants and over-running lawns.

I have another Houttuynia (pied piper) in a container that has lived happily alongside a lobelia speciosa for 5ish years without choking it out, so did not initially think using one for ground cover in my border would cause any issues - now I'm not so sure...

I guess my main question is will this particular cultivar be as much of a problem for me as some of the stories I've read and if so how is best to deal with it? I do like how they look but not at the expense of killing everything else in my garden! 

I'm guessing as the plant is still a fairly recent addition getting rid of it now would be my best shot but If I were to dig it out how far will the rhizomes have been likely to spread over 6 months? If I were to brush leaves with a systemic weed killer would this be likely to affect other plants in the area?

I've attached a picture below, for context the Houttuynia is planted about 50cm from a reasonably established Thuja Pilcata and around 1m from a Red Robin shrub. It also has a Spirea 'magic carpet' planted pretty much next door.

Any help appreciated, this is my first time owning a garden and I'm slightly panicked to think that I might have just ruined it!!!

Thanks
DB
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Posts

  • d.bowers237RE5ssKtAd.bowers237RE5ssKtA Posts: 3



  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    You won't actually ruin your garden by planting something invasive. You'll just give yourself a lot more work😊
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I used to have one in my garden.
    It did spread about, but not massively so. However I wasn't really keen on it anyway so got rid of it.
    You have quite a small border so it's not going to travel very far.
    It may swamp the spirea a bit, but is unlikely to have much effect on your tree or your Red Robin


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • HalleSHalleS Posts: 105
    I think it's all pretty subjective. I inherited Houttuynia Cordata when I moved into my house and it has spread throughout one of my large flower beds, into my lawn, and even a monthly dose of glyphosate during its growing season hasn't killed it after 3 years. I tried digging it out twice to no avail. I don't want to scare you because it really is a nice looking plant, but it definitely spreads like wildfire if it's happy. Mine hasn't killed any neighbouring plants though, so maybe that's a plus.

    Overall, it's up to you whether you want it and don't mind it spreading. 

    And @Pete.8, if you successfully got rid of yours, please share your secret!
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Mine was in quite a deep and very long border but it stayed quite local. The spread was no more than about 2ft.
    I dug out most of the bits and then pulled up bits I'd missed when leaves appeared and it never returned. I probably only had it for a year or so though.
    The smell put me off tangerines for quite a while :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • micearguersmicearguers Posts: 646
    Seconded that it spreads if it's happy. It may depend on soil and variety. Anecdotally, I know of a garden on fertile clay where its roots spread deep and wide and it is nigh impossible to eradicate. If you have just a single specimen it's probably easier to nip it in the bud if it is problematic. I might consider digging it up just to see what its roots are doing. Something to consider is that it is close to a fence and could spread beyond it.
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    We inherited one of these and every year bits pop up around the pond area but on the whole, the plant is more in danger of being overrun by everything else. The downside of pulling it up is the horrible smell from the leaves.
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    I doubt it's spread too far as of yet. I would dig it out with my hands, feeling for any runners extending from the main plant, and make sure you get those in their entirety as well. I would be surprised if it's made much progress.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066
    I'd never grow it.  Had it in a former garden and it was a nightmare to get rid of and smelt absolutely awful.
    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
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