Plants to Avoid: List the Plants You Love to Hate

[cherlynn]

[img]https://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll46/grammycherlynn/09-22-07006.jpg[/img]
About 3 years ago I planted Sunflower seeds. Being a novice gardener, I had no idea that I had planted Jerusalem Artichokes! I have developed a "Love/Hate" relationship with this thriving "sunflower". Even a small part of the tuber will grow into a plant. I have decided to just live with them where they serve the purpose of providing privacy in our yard, but I continue to pull them from areas they have become invasive...as in the photo above! They are pretty, though, but only for a couple of weeks!

I have yet to try the edible roots...Any good recipes out there?!?!

[wingdesigner]

Love to hate, almost anything that begins with the letter "L". Lamium, Lamiastrum (SP?), loostrife, lysmichia; then there's poison ivy/oak/sumac; nightshade; morning glories and bishop's weed (sooo sorry I ever started those!); goldenrod or ragweed--I can't tell the difference, but it spreads by runner; mints, common garlic (another "sorry I ever started that"); rose of sharon; the gazillion elm/maple seedlings every year; black raspberries.

Some I've welcomed: red-leaved crabapple; juniper w/blue berries; cedar trees; and even though I don't care for roses--I admire the volunteer climber that has sprouted up and grown in partial shade!

[rainbowgardener]

Hi - I'm new to this forum and still browsing through all the wonderful stuff here. Found this really old thread untouched for a yr and thought I'd add my 2 cents, because I thought it was really interesting what was and wasn't listed. I agree with a lot. Honeysuckle in bush and vine form is one of our worst plagues in my area. I never knew vinca/periwinkle was called flower of death, but it is appropriate; I've seen it kill a whole woods. English ivy is also easy to hate, but I can't believe no one mentioned poison ivy. It may not be quite as ready to take over a forest, but every year I suffer through one or two cases of painful itching misery.... Then there's bindweed (a form of morning glory, but bindweed is a good name, it binds up all the plants around it) and garlic mustard...
But someone listed monarda, ajuga, tradescantia (spiderwort) and rudbeckia, which are all plants I love, most native (except I think for the ajuga). No accounting for taste!

[cynthia_h]

To add to my earlier post of last year:

Bermuda grass

Kudzu (from when I lived in the South)--I lived in one house in Atlanta where the kudzu grew FROM a sunlit location TO a dark location under the front porch. It just didn't care whether there was sunlight or not; the area under the front porch was clearly Territory Yet To Be Conquered. Scary stuff.

Note to earlier poster: The story I was told was that kudzu was brought to the States as an erosion-control plant. I'm not even sure whether cows or other livestock *will* eat kudzu--but they'd sure better not stand still while that stuff is around!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[eshenry]

Yes your story is correct, but the lovely southern tall tale is cute.

[applestar]

About Kudzu -- Kudzu is a very EXPENSIVE starch highly regarded in macrobiotic diet, that is used like tapioca starch. My favorite way to eat it is as a tapioca pudding-like desert, although you can use it in any recipe that calls for starch.

I was reminded of a quaint book I have... It's a Japanese "healthy/natural living" book of traditional Japanese hand-crafted foods. According to the descriptions given by a famous premium artisanal processor, the kudzu roots are harvested between December and April when the starch content is highest (even then, only about 10%), The roots are pulverized with water from artesian wells, then filtered to remove all fiberous material. After 7 or 8 changes of water over the course of 2 weeks (usually in -5~-10ºC weather -- kudzu ferments easily an cannot be processed in the warmer weather) the starch water is filtered again, and the starch is allowed to subside (there's a word for this process that escapes me) for 3~4 days. The starch is then dried naturally without using any heat (which degrades the quality of the starch) for 50~60 days. "Genuine kudzu starch takes all winter to process."

[Beebe]

Rainbowgardner-
I'm in Ohio also and HATE honey suckle. Its growing on all three sides of my backyard. There are two that are so big they are full grown trees. They are taking over my neighbors burning bushes....ugh,stupid honeysuckle!!!

[moosetracker]

mugwort or wild chrysanthemum I planted Mums one year, the next year this grew and I stupidly thought I was getting mums. When it didn't flower in the fall, I was disappointed. By the next year it was all over the garden and I have been fighting to get rid of it ever since. they have runners all over the place so even if I get what I can see, they will be back anyway.