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What is this spreading plant?

fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 369
in Plants
Hi!
What is this spreading plant? Have various patches of it now? Anything need to be done to keep it under control?
Thank you! 😊
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Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    edited March 2021
    Arum maculatum, aka 'cuckoo pint' and 'lords and ladies' amongst many other common names.  It is difficult to control as weedkiller doesn't seem to work and if you dig them out, they have a small knobbly soil-coloured corm and these usually break-off and remain in the soil.  Some folk like them and they're good for wildlife, although the red berries in summer are poisonous to us and every seed seems to be viable, so they spread easily.
    All you can do is dig them up from where they are unwelcome and try to get the corms out (that's also the only part which will have any roots on.)  Because more will keep appearing in future years, just pull those up when seen and they will eventually give-up. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    It's sold in the nursery I go to!!
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 369
    BobTheGardener said:
    Arum maculatum, aka 'cuckoo pint' and 'lords and ladies' amongst many other common names.  It is difficult to control as weedkiller doesn't seem to work and if you dig them out, they have a small knobbly soil-coloured corm and these usually break-off and remain in the soil.  Some folk like them and they're good for wildlife, although the red berries in summer are poisonous to us and every seed seems to be viable, so they spread easily.
    All you can do is dig them up from where they are unwelcome and try to get the corms out (that's also the only part which will have any roots on.)  Because more will keep appearing in future years, just pull those up when seen and they will eventually give-up. :)
    Thank you @BobTheGardener, that is such an informative reply! You certainly know your stuff. Thanks, think I’ll leave that one patch but may try get some of the others up - they are in the lawn too! 🙈 Many thanks again!! It’s great to learn! 😀
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 369
    Mary370 said:
    It's sold in the nursery I go to!!
    @Mary370 Is it?! Interesting! 🤔 @BobTheGardener says it’s good for wildlife so maybe that’s why 🙂
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 13,680
    There is a variegated form, which I grow.


    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,455
    I have it in my garden and don't fight it.  i quite like it but it's rather the odd specimen than the bunching mass you have there.  If it got like that I'd be thinning it out.
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 369
    punkdoc said:
    There is a variegated form, which I grow.


    That looks nice @punkdoc 🙂
  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 369
    @Cloggie, yes I didn’t mind it 🙂 but there’s several big patches in the border now, and also growing in the lawn... will try take some up otherwise it’s looking like it’ll overtake! 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 83,720
    The leaves die down after its flowered so it disappears during summer. 

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





  • fizzylizfizzyliz Posts: 369
    Dovefromabove said:
    The leaves die down after its flowered so it disappears during summer. 
    @Dovefromabove 👍
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