Aegopodium Podagraria - Bishop's Weed
Posted: Thursday, September 24, 2009
by Dennis Sons
tn nursery
Aegopodium podagraria is also known as "bishop's weed" or "snow on the mountains" and is a plant native to Europe and Northern Asia . It is part of the carrot family. There are several species of Aegopodium in Asia but they all have one distinct feature- beautiful blooms in the middle of dark green foliage. This herbaceous perennial plant presents with groups of three leaves. The leaves are serrated and may even be unevenly shaped. The foliage is generally light to dark green with white edges.
Bishop's weed does grow in the wild and can be very invasive. Often it is seen growing in dense patches and displacing smaller plant species. Often bishop's weed will invade nearby colonies of conifers and other plants. Within a few months, bishop's weed can completely displace most small plants.
Bishop's weed is known to grow quite well in over 29 states especially in the East and Northeastern part of the country. In parts of Michigan , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania , it is regarded as a nuisance.
Bishop's weed is a very versatile plant and thrives well in many landscapes. The best conditions for growth including moist well-drained soil and bright sun. It is able to tolerate shady conditions when fully grown.
Today bishop's weed is grown on landscapes principally as an ornament because of its bright flowers sprouting out of the dense green foliage. The flowers appear in May and June.
The flowers of bishop's weed do attract bees, butterflies and a variety of insects that in turn help pollinate the plant. Bishop's weed is a perennial plant and the seeds usually germinate each year after ripening. While the mature plant does grow well in shade, the seeds do need a lot of sun. For the novice gardener who is thinking of growing bishop's weed, it should be understood that the colonies of bishop's weed can spread rapidly to neighboring areas. Dumping of the plant anywhere on land can easily lead to growth of this plant.
To control bishop's weed one does have to put in a lot of labor. The area of land should be monitored for any new growth. New growths can easily be dug and removed. Once the excess growth has been eradicated, one can substitute Bishop's weed with other non-invasive plants. If the growth is excessive, one can use herbicides like glyphosate. However, the best way to get rid of excess bishop's weed is to carefully dig up the plant along with the underground stems.
The biggest advantages of growing bishop's weed is that it will grow into areas where nothing else will grow and finally it will quickly cover large areas of ground. The average plant grows to about 2-3 feet. For planting, one should maintain a space of about 18 inches in-between each plant and about 12 inches between rows. Bishop's weed is classified as hardy in USDA zones 4-8
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