Forum home› Problem solving

Plant identification & eradication

croftcolleencroftcolleen Posts: 4
in Problem solving
Can anyone tell me what this plant is called and how to eradicate it as it is spreading over me garden rapidly?
«1

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 22,887
    If you click on the little icon that looks like a mountain range  just at the top of the posting box,  you will get instructions for photos. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • croftcolleencroftcolleen Posts: 4
  • croftcolleencroftcolleen Posts: 4
    Thanks Lyn, I have done that and uploaded the photos 
  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    Looks like Rosebay Willowherb to me. How tall does it grow? Pull it out before it seeds.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,218
    The top photo looks like willow herb, Colleen - it's reasonably easy to fork up when it's small like that.  If you leave it, it quickly runs to flower and then seeds all over the place.  There are several different willow herbs but that doesn't look like the sort with horrible thick roots... however, do an experimental dig underneath it and see!  The thick-rooted perennial sorts need very careful digging to remove all the roots - or a weedkiller like glyphosate as it's coming into flower, if you're desperate.

    In the second photo there's also a little willow herb - I'd say that one's definitely the easy sort to remove.  The more "clumpy" weed looks a bit like shepherd's purse, an annual which is easy to pull out, or hoe when it's small.  Not positive, though...
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • AlliumPurpleSensationAlliumPurpleSensation Posts: 270
    I also have loads of this and spent yesterday getting most of it up by hand, because we have had so much rain the borders were still quite damp so it was easy to get out. No doubt I will have missed some and have to do it again and again and again....
  • plant pauperplant pauper Posts: 6,904
    Willow herb. One of my "favourite" weeds. Easy to pull, easy to spot, if you miss a couple they grow to knee high overnight so you don't have to bend very far to hoick 'em out, easy to carry because if you have an armful YES! ARMFUL!!! they stick together till you get them to the compost bin.  :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,277
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    I have this on damp clay soil next to a dyke at the end of the garden. It's horrible, with very deep roots. I am still digging it out. Dont let it grow and flower as it flings seed everywhere.. Good luck
  • croftcolleencroftcolleen Posts: 4
    Thanks everyone for your replies. I have tried digging it out but it has small & fragile roots which break so I'm not getting it out completely. 
Sign In or Register to comment.