Re: Garden Thugs

**y*@sfo.com**

At the community garden, someone planted an ornamental Euphorbia (probably
E. characias) about 10 ft. away from my plot, and it has been reseeding
itself vigorously ever since. It's a year since the plant was removed, and
its seedlings are still the worst weed in my plot. I got rid of bermuda
grass and bindweed in a season (though they still thrive in neighboring
plots), but the euphorbias keep on coming. I do catch them young (under 3
in.), but they're everywhere!

I don't expect to get much agreement on this one, but the lilies of the
nile (Agapanthus cvs.) planted decades ago at the borders of the community
garden are a slug and snail haven -- a bad choice for a planting near
vegetable plots! That area hasn't been maintained for years, so the clumps
grow and spread, and nurse bermuda grass colonies. I keep pulling out the
most overgrown clumps that are encroaching on my garden, but it keeps
coming back. And since it's in part shade and gets no water, it rarely
blooms.

In my area, the worst bird-planted thugs are privet (Ligustrum lucidum)
and italian buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), which are especially bad when
they come up between fences and no one notices until they reach the top of
the fence. Brush cherry (Syzygium paniculatum) reseeds all over the place,
but I don't see many mature volunteers (except between fences!).

Tanya Kucak
Palo Alto, Calif.

>
> Am working away on our Winter issue. The cover story is Garden  Thugs. I'd
> like to do a Top 10 (at least as  that number may  expand as I keep
> researching), so I put it to you all --
>
> ASIDE from Ivy, bamboo, and vinca, WHAT PLANT  IS IN YOUR GARDEN (or a
> client's garden) that you wish you had NEVER  planted there due to its
> aggressive, spreading , thuggish nature?
>

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