Evil Weed

June 18, 2011 12:28 AM

Please help me identify this garden weed: evil weed.

It is growing all over the garden (London, UK) and has very long roots. Suggestions for removing/reducing it would also be very welcome!

posted by The Carolingian to home & garden (6 answers total)

Looks somewhat like a Trailing Tormentil.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 1:02 AM on June 18, 2011

Agreeing with le morte de bea arthur -- it looks very like some sort of potentila, possibly potentilla simplex. It can be a bear to get rid of, since the stolons can grow several feet. Best way is careful hand digging and removal. Don't till the area, since each severed section of stolon can grow a new plant.
posted by vers at 4:16 AM on June 18, 2011

If what they say is true - and the link vers posted suggests that bees love this plant - perhaps you might consider letting it live? London has a bee problem.
posted by Ted Maul at 4:46 AM on June 18, 2011

Very hard to identify the species without a picture of the plant, but I agree that it looks like some form of Potentilla.
posted by oneirodynia at 7:29 AM on June 18, 2011

You could try posting it on Name That Plant.
posted by spilon at 8:37 AM on June 18, 2011

Ted Maul, one plant isn't going to solve the nearest hive's problem, much less London's.

It's a weed; kill it, but use care, as it's resilient.
posted by IAmBroom at 7:15 PM on June 18, 2011