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Invasive plant indentification

imageCan anybody help me identify and attempt to eradicate the plant shown in the pic? It originally appeared in my neighbours garden but is now growing in my garden and also the neighbour the other side of me. It was recency cut back by people who cleared my neighbours garden but was originally as high as the house and seems to be growing back voraciously ! 

Posts

  • JerryBoneJerryBone Posts: 91

    I think its an elder (Sambucus) I'm sure someone else will be able to tell you how to remove the blighter! But I have no experience in removing one so I hope all goes well but unfortunately my advice would only be to google how to :)

  • I have checked it's not elder as elder flowers and I have never seen this plant flower 

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,905

    Hi forkenstein. It is definitely the common elderberry (Sambucus nigra) which does send out suckers. If you want to tackle removal on your own, cut down the tree to a stump and get something like SBK brushwood kiiler or similar and follow the instructions on the container.

    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Definitely elder. Sambucus nigra.

    It flowers on the previous years wood, so if you cut it down every spring it will not flower. Cut it down as low as possible and paint the stump with SBK brushwood killer.

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    I cut several down each year that are on my boundary. I put them through a shredder, mixed with grass cuttings they make good compost.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,143

    Definitely elder - it's not flowering 'cos it flowers on wood produced the previous year and you've had it cut back.  Use SBK Brushwood killer to kill it off.  

    http://www.gardenplansireland.com/forum/about114.html 


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





  • image

    Excellent responses . Thank you very much folks ! 

  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,457

    Not varying from anything that has already been said but as reassurance, I had a tree height version of this in the neglected garden I took over and it had been free to self-seed around the place for yonks - it was in the roots of the privet hedge, beech hedge and other shrubs like weigela.  I waged war on it with SBK (and English Mandrake too but that's another story) but it took several paintings over freshly cut wounds to kill it off.  I've been here two years and I'm still finding "saplings". 

    Funnily enough though, I've just planted the ornamental version of this plant in both "Black Lace" and "Aurea" varieties thinking that they will grow successfully (and more beautifully than the common form).

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