I had this growing when I moved here, in a bed. I thought it was pretty and left it alone. I have many new beds now and it's popping up everywhere.
I had some close to my roses, and when I went to dig it up.........the roots were extremely long and tough. I've dug them up and moved the plants to the back of my yard, but maybe I should get rid of them all together??
Might be Centaurea montana? The leaves aren't consistant with it being a NA native Centaurea but then there are only a few of those so my guess is what you have there is introduced from Europe. Centaurea montana is formally identified as being invasive in a few areas and there are quite a few people who are very frustrated with them popping up everywhere such as what you described. The other problem is that a lot of companies that sell "wildflower" mixes add Centaurea as one of their cheap fillers which means they're out there en masse. The USDA shows them as having "naturalized" in 11 states already so they are weedy. There are a lot worse invasives though.
I planted Bachelor's Buttons (Centaurea cyanus) once. Same genus. I removed them real quick when they appeared on the other side of my driveway the following year. I had deadheaded them but I must have missed a few. I'm sort of a lazy gardener who doesn't like to weed and I don't like things popping up where I didn't plant them. I'm not the greatest in the design or landscaping department so I do try to keep the few nice areas of my property orderly.
Thanks so much for your response! I think I'll be getting rid of all of them. Those roots are impressive!
If you do keep them, put in some Stachys byzantina right next to them. They have a synergy. The foliage of the Stachys pairs nicely with the Centaurea in bloom. When it finishes blooming, cut the whole plant back (eliminating the seeds). The centaurea will regrow and rebloom. In the mean time the Stachys comes into bloom.
Yes, the roots are impressive aren't they.
I have some Stachys tenuifolia here and it's native and a real pretty plant. I'd like to pick up some Stachys pilosa. I've wanted that plant for a while and never can get my hands on it. Both are indigenous to your state as well as to mine. The Stachys tenuifolia tends to like it wet and shady though and like most nettles, it will leave me burning and itching at the same time if it brushes up against my skin. Needless to say, I keep that planted out in the wetlands. Beautiful plant but... it stings.
watersedge! tsk tsk! The Stachys byzantina is Lambs Ear and although the leaves have a nice texture and nice look to them, that's an introduced species that is hitting some invasive lists. I pull that out around here on a regular basis. It doesn't slam me like Garlic Mustard, Dame's Rocket, Shasta and Oxe-Eye Dasiy, or Queen Anne's Lace but I do run into it enough that I don't like it because it creates work for me. And, I know darn well I'm too lazy to dead head the thing.
I already dug them up!..................Not easy, too much work for me. My garden has gotten out of control quickly, with my rose and winter sowing addiction. I have enough hassle. My other plants have to be pretty easy! Thanks for the input............love Dave's Garden!
What are you going to plant where you dug them up?
I don't know that yet. I have lots of tall things I need space for, and one plant was in back below my deck. I'll probably put delphinium or foxglove there. I moved a couple more to the back of the bed by my shed, all with lots of sun. I'll probably do the same in that area.
I don't have a fence and am trying to create a natural fence. All my plants are pretty new so it's hard to see where plants that aren't foundation plant will go.
What about small shrubs for that area?
What do you suggest? I love input.
Lemme go look up where you are in Maryland based on your city. Be back after I can find a map.
Say, what's the closest major city to where you live?
You're close to Baltimore. One of the shrubs that I am particularly fond of these days is Rhus aromatica. There's also a Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low' available now and I bought a few of those. Other lower growing shrubs that you might like to take a peek at would be Viburnum acerifolium and Rosa carolina. I particularly like the Rosa carolina but that Viburnum acerifolium is a real show stopper too. Check out Euonymus americanus too. And, that's not the invasive Euonymus but the mild mannered native Euonymus.
I love my centaurea montana. It does reseed a bit. 4 or 5 new plants will pop up in a season, but in my garden the plants are very very easy to pull out so it has never been a problem. Apparently in warmer zones they are more troublesome. Too bad, because it is a pretty plant.
