Aegopodium podagraria ‘Variegatum’
“Gout Weed” “Bishops weed” “Ground Elder” “English masterwort”
APIACEAE
Herbaceous Perennial – Groundcover- Invasive Weed
Native habitat : Eurasia
Highly invasive
Conditions
Soil: any – can tolerate poor
Moisture: well drained – can be drought tolerant
Light: full sun to full shade (best in part-shade)
Plant size (h x w): 6″ – 8″ x which can spread indefinitely
Other: very fast growing, hard to contain
Aesthetic
Spreads by rhizomes and seed; leaflets oval and serrated, basal foliage, light green with creamy white margins; flowers tiny white flat-topped, umbel, flower may to june
Removal/Maintenance
Is not easy to get rid of: only way to get it out is to remove all of the bed to 2′ deep, wash all the plants roots and then put them back in with new soil
Cut down flower heads
Uses
Often used as a ground cover but its herbaceous so not a great fit for Victoria; can compete with tree roots (but you will likely never get it out of that area after)
*if you are going to use it is should always be contained, container or mechanical barrier; its so fast growing and spreads like crazy, once its planted its there to say
Do not put roots right into the compost, kill in the sun
Medicinal: eat young leaves in the past
Vulnerabilities
Pests and disease: none significant
Deer resistant: yes
Other animals: rabbit resistant
Interest
Local info,: introduced; invasive especially in native areas
Identification (key features):