Janet Allen* wrote an interesting comment to my June 25, 2018 post on Darn Invasive Bellflowers! And she sent photos!! I thought everyone might be interested in reading what she had to say.
“No solution, but a lot of sympathy! This was in our yard when we moved in about 35 years ago and it seemed rather benign at the time. Over the decades it has continued to spread and I have been increasingly alarmed.
My husband made it a project this year and pulled a lot out, but the visible plant is just the tip of the iceberg. He totally removed all plants from an area and dug down to get the tuber supporting the whole mess.
I’ve replanted there (with natives) but will never be able to move those plants elsewhere since I’m afraid there might be bits of root left. Someone on a recent yard tour said that her friend had given her some, mentioning that “it spreads”!
I also saw C. persicifolia for sale at Home Depot – another invasive!
Hope you find a solution and let us all know!”
I’m working on it!
As I see Creeping Bellflower this time of year growing in people’s gardens and being tended to so carefully, I’m more determined than ever to find a way to control it. My other arch enemy is Goutweed (Aegopodium podgraria) which also seems to be part of many people’s landscapes. I’ll keep you posted.
Janet Allen is president and co-founder of the Wild Ones chapter Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY). She is a past member of the Wild Ones Board of Directors.
I just found this prescription for bellflower removal in an old file on my computer. Based on our experience, it seems probably the best–or maybe only–way to get rid of it. (I didn’t note the author unfortunately…)
The “at least 6″ deep” part is important, noting the photo (above) of the ruler next to the plant and its root.
“Dig at least 6” deep to locate and remove all rhizomes and perennial roots.
If all perennial tissue (roots and rhizomes) is removed, populations can be eliminated.
This can be difficult, especially in heavy soils. A pitchfork or other tool can be used to loosen the soil around the plant to make removal easier. If only removing shoots, the frequency and length of period necessary to reduce populations is not known, but likely many removals per year for several years will be necessary. If flowers are present, bag material and dispose of it in a landfill or burn to avoid potential for seed spread.”
Thanks for the added info, Janet. Six inches deep will take a lot of muscle and determination, and as your quote says “for several years.” Even sneaky garlic mustard doesn’t typically have a root that long.
For years I thought it was harebell (campanula rotundifolia). This bellflower is about 3’ tall. Harebell is listed as 1’-2’ tall in the catalog. But, like so many heights listed in catalogs, the heights of many wildflowers exceed the numbers in the catalogs.
Ken
Hi! Ken – It’s good to hear from you. I think a lot of us have thought the same thing one time or another. The give-away for me for this particular invasive species is that the native Harebell’s (campanula rotundifolia) lovely blue flowers are usually all at the top of the stem instead of all along the stem.