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Beautiful Thugs

YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

I recently posted a thread about Japanese Anenomes.  A beautiful thug that has caused real problems in my garden.   I find it really difficult to deal with this sort of plant as heavy digging causes problems due to a medical condition.  I'm assuming the this is not the only plant that might charm me into buying it only to become a real nuisance in the future.  I wondered if you might suggest others I might avoid.  There are plenty of well behave plants out there that I would prefer to use.  If you know them please include any common names as I might not recognise the proper names.  Thanks in anticipation.

Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
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  • Forester2Forester2 Posts: 1,477

    It seems that plants that have 'Japanese' or 'Himalayan' in their common name seem to be a thug and are really attractive too.image 

  • Lupin 1Lupin 1 Posts: 8,916

    Yvie I have problems with alchemilla mollis and houttuynia I've had to resort to chemical warfare with them both.

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    I think anything with creeper in the name should be treated with suspicion! V.creeper, creeping buttercup, creeping jenny, who on earth named these creepers! More like sprinting, barging thugs! image
  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

     I Thanks, I have had problems with houttuynia in the past and have just pulled up a recently planted alchemilla mollis after picking up a thread about it on this website.  I wish garden centres would warn people about these plants, I had only ever heard really nice things about alchemilla mollis until recently.  I have learned to check the spread on plants and if it says indefinitely I avoid like the plague but its not always stated.  I do have a bit of a problem with comfrey but its easy to remove even though it shoots up all over the garden.

    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • It has to be Kerria for me.

  • Forester2Forester2 Posts: 1,477

    Each garden is so different as I had trouble getting alchelmilla mollis to grow! Eventually it was successful and I have just one clump but it doesn't seem to spread like others have found.

  • bekkie hughesbekkie hughes Posts: 5,294
    My jap anemonies havent spread either, but they are in that "trouble" border ive been moaning about, suppose i should be grateful image
  • Lupin 1Lupin 1 Posts: 8,916

    Very true Forester. image 

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,066

    Hypericum or Rose of Sharon is a thug that's difficult to dig out.   The yellow form of lysimachia can get very happy and spread by root invasions.   It's cousin, lysimachia clethroides alba, is much more attractive and much easier to dig or fork out or pull up after rain.

    Alchemilla mollis is only a problem if you let  the flowers go to seed.   I cut them off anyway as I have never liked acid yellows and greens.

    My echinops ritro is very happily seeding itself about but the seedlings are easy to hoe or pull up or dig up witha trowel and ot up for friends. 

    Phytolacca americana self seeds all over the place too but again is easy to deal with at seedling stage.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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