Invasive plant

Janine.llewellyn

Does anyone know what this plant is? It is popping up all over.  It grows a stalk in summer that has red berries on it.  How do I get rid of it? Thanks 

robairdmacraignil

Is it arum italicum?

Lizzie27

Hello @Janinellewellyn, welcome to the forum. Sorry, I can't offhand remember the name of this plant (but others will know). It is a native invasive plant however and the red berries are highly poisonous. I would dig it out and all the others as soon as possible wearing gloves for safety. Don't put it in your compost bin if you have one, although it can go in your council green bin. 

Fairygirl

Arum italicum.
You can dig it out, but if you at least remove the seedheads before they get the chance to spread, that will help. 

Liriodendron

They grow from a knobbly corm quite a way down (15-20cm) under the soil, which easily breaks off the stem when you're digging them out.  If you leave the corm in the ground they'll re-grow next year...  I've been spending the last few weeks digging them out of my new garden.

Liriodendron

As far as I'm aware you can compost the leaves and stems, just not the corms... we have no council green waste collection here, so I'm making a big pile of the corms under beech trees at the far end of my garden.  Nothing else grows there... we'll see if wild arum does!