Why should every New England gardener take ELA’s webinar on “Invasive Plants”?
So you don't do what I did and propagate a bully.
As a member of the Ecological Landscape Alliance, I wanted to take advantage of their free webinar on “Invasive Plants”. The presentation by Bruce Wenning was very informative. Boy was I surprised and feeling a little GUILTY when I saw one of my favorite plants. There it was, ON THE LIST, a plant I had transplanted for years and even shared with friends.
Goutweed (Aegopedium podagraria), more commonly know as “bishops weed”
Photo by Bill Wren / Flickr
Bruce makes many great points about the importance of maintaining a balanced ecosystem. He also makes a good practical point. Invasive plants are a 'pain in the neck'. Ultimately, getting rid of an invasive is less work for a gardener.
Take for example, my bishops weed. Yes, my neighbors and I enjoyed its bright, variegated leaves, but containing and cutting it back was EXHAUSTING.
And while I will miss my variegated friend, ELA provides a list of wonderful native alternatives.