A Canadian Redditor posted about a problem in their backyard: an invasive species called the creeping bellflower. The nuisance popped up during spring, and the property owner used an app to identify it.
"Weeding each one out seems impractical at this point," the poster wrote. As a result, they sought alternative solutions.
So, what is the creeping bellflower? While you can't see blooms in the Reddit photo, this invasive species often has bell-shaped blue-purple flowers that can carry up to 15,000 seeds and grow two to three feet tall. It can quickly spread from those as well as from its deep root propagation.
It's a good thing the property owner identified the plant and took eradication steps. However, removing invasive species is a time-consuming and often costly endeavor.
"I googled a bit and seems like this weed is almost impossible to eliminate," the OP added.
Deweeding may not feel worth the effort, but combining the hand-removal of roots with other methods often proves effective. Smothering an invasive plant with a tarp, cardboard, or newspaper after cutting it back and adding organic mulch can also help kill it.
In addition, densely planting native ground cover can prevent the invasive species from returning. Some options include Canadian wild ginger, creeping juniper, ostrich fern, Canada mayflower, and foamflower.
Anyone can identify native plants for their zone through the Xerces Society, the National Wildlife Federation, or a local plant nursery. Rewilding your yard will take work but can snuff out invasive species while adding curb appeal, making the soil healthy, and providing habitats for pollinators.
After rewilding your yard, you'll also save money on water, fertilizers, and pesticides.
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Definitely 👍 Unfortunately, many commenters confirmed this plant was hard to remove, but they provided helpful solutions, too.
"This thing is pure, pure evil down to its very essence," one user wrote.
"You have to find the evil mother rhizomes, remove all the lawn and soil, slowly get down it, and you have to clean up all the rhizomes," another Redditor suggested.
"I've made slow progress by working to make sure I pull what I [can] and never let it flower," someone else said. "It still comes back, but it's less every year."
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