There is a large patch at Hillside Park in Maplewood and a smaller area just west of Maplewood Nature Center.

I have positively identified this weed in a garden in my yard. This is the 3rd year it has reappeared and, instead of just a handful of plants, it has taken over a 3' x 3'-plus area and is spreading quickly. How can I eradicate it? Leaves are a dark, uniform green color, not variegated. Thanks!

Amy, this is very difficult to eradicate. You can dig but any root fragments left in the soil will just resprout. Repeated herbicide treatment might not kill it, but may weaken it enough to stop or slow spreading. I heard one report of digging down 2+ feet, removing all plants and roots, then covering with black plastic for 6 months to a year might cook it.

I have been battling this sucker for a few years since I bought the house (then a terribly neglected yard). Digging it up and covering the area with heavy plastic does work - be sure to watch the edges of the plastic where it tries to sneak back. VERY labor intensive. For large patches, a spray for Poison Ivy/Tough Brush killer works best. It kills everything so take care. Even after most is gone, you will find a few rogues trying to make a comeback.

Thought it was a nice looking verigated edging plant when we bought the place last year. This year, it's taking over a large flower garden and spreading into our wooded area. Flamethrower maybe?

noticed this plant last year at my home north of Duluth. It is solid green, no verigation. my nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away so I suspect it is wild. I finally identified it this year. It is a thick mono-culture nearly 10ft by 10ft. I will dig and cover with palstic. It is within 10 feet of a frog-filled pond that drains to a trout stream - I am hesitant to use herbicide. Any other suggestions?

We live in the woods and remember first seeing the plant when we brought in local manure for our garden in the 1970's. I keep it out of the garden but it is slowly spreading throughout our yard which gets mowed regularly. We don't use herbicides. We weren't planning to eradicate it because we like it better than the Creeping Charlie that is spreading even faster (also came in with the manure). We'd love to get rid of that!

Found in this in 6 different places in my yard and garden. I noticed it cropping up last year and despite its innocent appearance, knew that something was afoul by the way it spread. But I did not identify it until just now. Now, if I can only keep it out of the house.

I live in a wooded area in Battle Creek and have a large area of goutweed growing in my back yard. It is on a hillside and I like it for erosion control and the plant it keeps out the most is Buckthorn. The area grows a bit each year and now is probably 30' x 30'. I do not have any thing else I want to plant there (too shaded for grass) but am I risking the oak woods at Battle Creek Park? They are having a hard enough time with the Buckthorn.

Daniel, yes you are risking Battle Creek. Get rid of the goutweed, if you can. There are soooooooo many shade-tolerant native species you could have in that space instead, many of which already grow in Battle Creek Park, such as wild ginger - an excellent ground cover.

I just identified that we have this plant growing in a 10 x 6 feet patch. It has taken over many different times in the course of our 25 years here. We have re-landscaped several times, and it finds away of recovering and taking over again. Thanks for all the comments and the picture identification. Now, I know how to down-size and eradicate it.

We have had small patches of the variegated variety on the edge of the oak woods on our property (which we tolerated), but in the last few years it seems to have turned into a taller, much more aggressive and green variety. Holy cow, this stuff is spreading many feet per year and is now a 20' x 40' dense green patch. Time to spray with Roundup + brush killer and recover the landscape.

My parents have the variegated on the north side of their home. They noticed a bunch of plants with solid colored plants this year that are growing like crazy. I was just able to get it identified yesterday due to photos. It is definitely the variegated gone wild and spreading fast. I’ve advised them to pull it all and dispose of it.

I discovered 1 plant on my wooded lot in May and could not ID it positively so left it alone. Several weeks later 10 plants appeared in the same small area and I was able to identify it. I pulled the plants but it is probably going to come back in greater numbers like the Sandpeople.

There's a variagated and non-variagated naturalized population at the Tettegouche Camp and along the camp trails. It is assumed by us that it was planted there and is naturalizing and spreading. Lake County, MN. We did not collect vouchers.

I cannot believe this is still sold in MN. There has been a patch between our house and the neighbors for decades that stayed there. In past 5 or so years, it has taken off across the lawn, jumping the sidewalk. Removing it has been difficult, and I am not willing to use chemicals, which I read is not really successful with a significant downside. I am attempting to replace it with virginia waterleaf and some hostess to shade it out and am making progress

Is this plant poisonous? Ingestion? I have found it still within gardens.

Hagen, I don't believe goutweed is poisonous.

This plant has been in my yard 20 some years taken over my garden yard, we have pulled it all out and it does not want to go away and we are trying to kill it now by suffocating and Trimec Weed Killer.

I have actually had great success controlling Aegopodium with a glyphosate foliar spray in late spring followed by replacement with native groundcovers. Collateral damage is to be expected of course, but may be worth it depending on the severity of the infestation.

There's a small patch of variegated Goutweed at Moose Lake St. Park near the dam.

I'm looking for snow on the mountain also known as Bishops Weed. I need a good ground cover.

Mary, do not put this horrible plant in your yard. Good native ground covers include wild strawberry, wild ginger, violets, and several native grasses and sedges, all of which are low maintenance and can support pollinators. While these may spread, they are much easier to control than goutweed.

Just commenting to show this weed is abundant in Winona. We have both versions. Garden is on the base of a bluff and terraced, so we are managing it a "bed at a time". Pulling, turning the soil, screening out the roots, replanting desirables, and mulching between. Been able to stay barely ahead of it, but cannot slack for even a season or all will be lost.

I came across a large patch of Aegopodium in a woody area on St. Paul Campus of UofM. For those fighting it: The plant is edible. I have heard from people who were able to keep it under control by regularly harvesting it (in it's native range, but it is aggressive there too). I can recommend it in a quiche with walnuts and feta (if the taste is too strong for you, you might want to mix in nettles or other greens).