What plants have you bought and stuck in your ground....

What plants have you bought and stuck in your ground....
That have absolutely driven you bonkers? We all have or have had plants out in our yards that have done nothing but make us absolutely miserable. Come on and fess up! Please share which plants were nothing but trouble once they got in your ground!

I'll start-
1) Lily Of The Valley
I was so enamored with Lily Of The Valley that I dug it up and brought it to this house when we moved. I also gave divsions of it to friends. I had no idea! People are still cursing me.
2) English Ivy
Bought over 100 plugs of that and am still trying to beat it back.
3) Forget Me Nots
Huge mistake. Had no idea how invasive they were and what prolific seeders they were. I loved this plant so much I sowed seed of it over at my Dad's house. Ugh, now I have two areas to rid of it!
4) Dame's Rocket
Was attracted to the pretty packets of seed that stated it would naturalize. They naturalized all right
5) Bradford Pears, Cleveland Select Pears, Red Spire Pears, and a few other Caleryana Pears
Loved the look of those so went all out and bought about 15. Have removed all but one now.
6) Russian and Autumn Olives
Loved the look of these. The silvery foliage caught my eye. Revoved and burned every last one of those.
7) Burning Bushes
Loved the Biblical connection to those so when the landscaper recommended them I had him stick 10 in the ground. Liked them so much I bought two more. All ripped out of the ground and burned now. What a waste of money.
8) White Mulberry
Actually special ordered 3 of those to go in the ground over here.
9) Snow All/In Summer
Another plant with great foliage and blooms all summer. Tried to get rid of that but it is popping up everywhere.
10) Bachelor Buttons
Another one that is popping up everywhere long after I pulled all the plants up.

These are my out of body experiences of self inflicted misery.

Wisteria!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More recent mistakes......

Snow In Summer-from a so called friend - we moved to escape these and the next
Bachelor Buttons
Yarrow-pink and red/rose cultivars - deer DO NOT eat these-oh how I wish they would!!
Ribbon grass - brightens a dark corner alright and took over everything
Alpine forget me nots (dug and brought home) - yes, HUGE mistake!!

Calendula, nasty sticky things are everywhere.

Pampas grass. Well, that is what the nursery called it and it was supposed to be the nice grass that I've seen growing on the east coast. NOT. Mine ended up being the kind of grass that grows wild in the ditches of Iowa and I can't kill it. I've used roundup, the spade, I tilled and raked, and I think that just made more plants. Don't know what to do. I can't get over the fact that I paid that nursery (local in state) $7 for something I can't even kill or control.

Take a picture of this monster grass to prevent other people from buying it!!

Ye ol Trumpet Vine .. looked pretty good in other folks yards. I 'purchased' a couple, and stuck on either side of the front trellis over our entry walkway .. and have severely regretted it since.

Have cut all growth way back and carefully placed Round Up on the cut ends - twice! But, still the roots are extending out and way beyond any perimeters I'd have ever imagined!! Still cropping up shoots all over my yard .. some 10 & 12 ft away !!

Just my luck .. I'd bought the vine that merely 'looked' like what I'd seen .. instead of researching it thoroughly! .. (grumble, grumble)

(thanks Equil & co., for suggesting this 'new' thread! .. Wonderful idea! )

- Magpye

Magpye...

You may have to go to brush killer to get rid of the trumpet vine. Not all natives are well behaved! Garlon would probably do the trick for you...there is no environmentally sound control for trumpet vine, unless you can get a back hoe and dig it out that way.

My biggest regret? Campanula. Dang.............

Mexican Evening Primrose, Showy allright!!!!! one small plant has now taken over 5ft in one season, I was warned, and thought, how bad can it be?!?! I'm digging, and digging, and digging, and worried!!!! lol

This message was edited Nov 15, 2004 9:05 AM

Well, I think this is Bleeding Heart, but the leaves don't resemble any of those I have been able to find pictures of. Anyhow a neighbor gave me his, and now I know why. I have alot of digging to do.

Vinca Major, Periwinkle, blue flowers, how pretty.AAAAAUUUGGGHH!!!!

Sugarweed,
Thats bleeding heart vine. Clerodendrum species, maybe?

Sugarweed .. that is a gorgeous flowering plant!! ... Geez, I've got places here, that I can certainly easily afford to turn her lose !! ...

I reckon .. another case of .. ones 'trash' .. is another 'treasure'.

- Magpye

Ok you guys, one person's trash is anothers gift, I'll take the Bleeding hearts, so pretty, and Lilly of the Valley, holds a lot of sentimental feelings for me from my childhood, my grandmother would buy them every May 1st from a lady at a cart on a street corner in Brussels, She used to wear the cologne as well!! Snow in Summer, not a problem here! Vinca & Periwinkle not a problem, you guys just send them over!!!!!!! LOLOLOL
Wisteria, I guess one must learn the difference between Japanese, Chinese and American!

Magpye, I was thinking the same thing. alot of my "weed"s are someone elses GREAT plants. I settled here so I could garden year round. So much grows, and I'm really becoming aware of what not to plant.
NATURALIZES is code here for "buy a machetey(sp?)"
Hanna, you sound like my mother in Charlotte 15 year ago. Go wash your mouth out. Vinca Major, the creeping kind MAJOR is a national enemy. Other vinca may not be as bad, but I will always be leery.
I will be harvesting seed from Bleeding Heart and they can be yours if you check the invasive list for where you live first.

Sugar, Maybe I was thinking of Vinca Minor, hey? But Bleeding heart mine is a very white with Pink, so far so good, also a Vine, no a problem! LOL

Black Eyed Susan Vine. Pulled the little buggers out all summer and STILL 2 managed to flower! Guess I'll be pulling again next summer!

GardenAddict, ME TOO, i forgot about that one,took over my fence Roses, was really difficult to get rid of, and I'ts COMING BACK, lol

Great exercise for the back of the old thighs though! - Can't remember the name of that muscle.. That's about the only thing positive I can think of to say about that plant!

I am also covered up in Castor Bean seedlings. But help me I can't stop growing them. I still think they're neat - and if the ole' DH ever gets out of line.... :-)

LOL, so pretty, and so much work!!!! trial by error, lol

I laughed too when I saw Judy's post on Wisteria. My father and step-mom planted it right beside their wood shingled house. You guessed it, it's pulling the shingles off and still they keep it there! Oh well.

Sugarweed ... I reckon that this is just as good a place as any, to try this 'tradin' business for the first time. But, then .. I've really nuffin' to offer back tho' ... !!! That Vinca Major .. of yours, that you say is 'the creeping kind MAJOR and a national enemy' to YOU - sounds like it is the ideal plant I need to turn completely loose on a big dirt bank .. and let her grow and run to her hearts desire !! All it would do is run into the woods!

I'll have to go and take a good long read, of all of those threads related to such trading, etc. ... so, I'll have somewhat of a clue as to what to do, on my end of things ... * That is, IF you're a mind to part with some of it .. to me!

I'd like to try my best to beat ya out of a few seeds (or, 'sprig'-?) .. of your Bleeding Heart vine too .. that is, if'n you .. and of course, hanna1 .. won't/don't mind ??

Just know, that I may need a wee lil bit of assistance on getting 'lined out' as to how to get this done ... and be as near successful, as possible .. ok?

NC .. you be careful with them thar castor bean plants .. Altho' you're teasin' aboutcha hubby - you know good and well, that you'd be lost as a goose without him .. !! .. LOL ..

- Magpye

I've planted lots of plants that died. So far I have never planted anything I regretted but just planted some Black Bamboo so who knows. lol

Mags, Thank God I left all vinca major in Charlotte, N.C. and have spent over $500 trying to control it enough to sell the house.
House/vinca, inclluded $105,000 in Charlotte. Beautiful home.
E-mail me an address, and I'll send Bleeding Heart.

Lamium 'Yellow ArchAngel' (grows faster thanI can pull it up)
Vinca minor 'Periwinkle' (grows fster than I can pull it up)
Horseradish (single plant planted 10 years ago....I now have 'volunteers' popping up over 25 ft away)
Shasta daisy (reseeds EVERYWHERE)

Sugar, you have mail
Equi, you have mail
RikerBear, I'd love your Shasta daisies, They're not invasive here at all!!!!!

Well...I'll just mosey on over to my mail!

DISCLAIMER- I did not give the Snow In Summer or the Bachelor Buttons to caron!

Oh Gosh!!! I'm confused, we're talking about our mistakes and other people are wanting to repeat them??? lol lol

Oh dear, I planted some yellow lamium this year. I hope it doesn't get completely out of hand.....

LOL!!!

Hee hee Magpye - you are right!!!! Not only is he a great hubby he also digs holes, cuts borders, and does all my till work!!!

Rikerbear - oh my gosh, I have horseradish (2 yrs old) in a back bed. It doesn't get enough sun and although is doing well isn't 'thriving.' I was going to move it so it would be happier. Thanks for the note! Think I'll leave it right where it is!!!

Sugarweed - I planted Vinca Major in my Ex's yard in Concord, NC 6 yrs ago. I kept it in check (somewhat) but WHO knows what it's doing now! That was back in my 1st days of gardening - also planted (I know I know) English Ivy there. Gosh, I didn't even realize I was 'gettin' him! LOL Hate to see his yard now....

One more thing - I planted Crimson Clover this fall as a cover crop for my veggie garden. Hopefully I won't be adding it to the list this Spring.... I am a little nervous about it!!

What does White Mulberry do? Do you think my Black Mulberry will be the same?

I've regretted purple coneflowers, catnip (I HATE it!), purple iris, and I'm sure there were others! But I do NOT regret my common milkweed!

The house came with japanese honeysuckle, multiflora rose, bittersweet, virginia creeper, wild grape and more of the like.

Black Mulberry or Purple will keep you from hanging clothes on the line when they fruit.

You guys always manage to make me smile - that bleeding heart vine is gorgeous. Isn't it ironic that we all want the plants that takes such care but the plants that do REALLY well, we rip out . The BANE of my life is that birdhouse gourd my children just had to have. Not only has it taken over EVERYTHING including my lilac trees but it has thorns (little itty bitty ones you can't see!) on them. I am so afraid to plant any kinds of gourds again! I also want to know just who decided to actually plant Japanese Knotweed (false bamboo) in my "just purchased" farm. Pretty white flowers all filled with icky flies, runners everywhere, refuses to Die.............. Where they crazy????? I also want to meet the person that introduced Asian Beetles and the multiflower rose to the Midwest. lol.

mindy

He he he, just caught this thread was still alive and well! This is too funny, "we're talking about our mistakes and other people are wanting to repeat them???" Thanks Judy, that gave me a good chuckle. I'm of the opinion that some mistakes just aren't fun enough to want to repeat a second time. Besides which, I've been going broke dealing with all of mine. Figured it was time to see what boo boos other people were making so I could sort of side step those. No need to get hit by the mack truck to learn to look both ways before I cross over any more.

Capt Micha, go on over to Garden Foes and ask your question about White Mulberry!
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/pad/

Last year, there was a rose growing in front of the old office that we had converted to a caretaker's cottage in the cemetery. Everytime someone walked by it, it snagged a blouse or shirt.
So I moved it to the back of the new office to let it climb on the railing. EGADS! it was the infamous multiflora rose. I took such pains planting it, too so it has grown like crazy. Now I have to cut it down and dig it up and put something there real nice as a punitive payment, lol.

Dont you dare!

Oh nooooooooooooo, the ever dreaded multiflora rosa and you did it to yourself! Eeeeeek!

sugarweed, the multiflora rose developed from erosion control. However it has become invasive. It has very small, single white blooms and grows to a huge bush, sometimes 10'X10' or larger and spreads everywhere. Not what I thought I was transplanting. I am going to shoot it with Round-Up today.

Hey Betty, is that one of the roses you sent me? I have one out of the bunch that is growing up the wall in my dining room and hanging from my light fixtures! After only 3 weeks too! It keeps says, "FEED ME Seymour!" What does that mean? Is that one of your pets names or something?


ROFLMBO!!!!