What I wish I hadn't planted (and eventually removed)

Years ago, I admired a succulent vine in the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek - Senecio tamoides.
http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantqrs/senectam.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hortulus_aptus/5251592607/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hortulus_aptus/1880682468/

I thought it would be interesting to grow, and Ruth suggested I bring a cutting home. I thrust the cutting into a pot of soil and placed it on my propagation table. As I checked on my various propagations, I noted that this plant seemed to have rooted quickly and was starting to 'bush out' modestly. I considered a place to plant it - on a slope just down a wall from where my propagation table was located. You see, there were some large Cotoneasters (which I hated) that provided some badly need shade and privacy and wind protection, but were very ugly. These shrubs backed up to the garage rooftop which was my growing area (remember, this property was on a slope, so all of the residence, including the 'basement' was on TOP of the garage going up the slope). I made a mental note to clear out weeds from the slope under the Cotoneasters (difficult to get to) in preparation for this planting.

The day finally came when I had time to perform this maintenance task. As i managed to get myself into position on the slope to start the clearing, I noticed a round bright green stem about a finger's width shooting up from the ground into the canopy of the bushes!! Pulling some of the weeds around it, I also noticed another darker stem that seemed to originate from the same location. As I carefully cleared around both of these stems, I discovered that one of the stems was coming DOWN from the rooftop propagation area, sprouting roots into the soil between the Cotoneasters, and then immediately shot UP vertically into the canopy. Unbeknownst to me, the modest little Senecio tamoides has sent a vigorous stem over the back edge of its 4" pot from the table about 10ft above in order to root itself into the ground (this should have been my first clue). I was so pleased that this vine had planted itself right where I had planned that I left it to carry on. In short order, this vine blanketed the top of the Cotoneaster with bright green leaves and exploded with yellow flowers in October. We were very pleased and enjoyed the many butterflies that found the daisies irresistible.

A number of years later, we moved house and I brought a cutting to the new garden. This site was flat (thank god!) and the soil a heavy but rich clay. I planted the cutting to cover an unsightly fence and some neighbor's back houses. In no time, the vine was off and doing the job admirably. But all too soon, this vine became a far more vigorous version of what we had in the former garden. The stems became very thick, the habit of sending 'telescoping' stems out onto the surround garden, rooting, and then shooting up to engulf everything around it became a real nuisance. Our local climate was far more mild than our former garden (or Walnut Creek), so it never stopped growing at this rapid clip. Soon I decided it had to go.

I drafted my unlucky some to help me tear out this beast and we started to create a mountain of ropey stems and squishy succulent leaves. At one point, I absently mentioned "Boy, I rue the day I planted this monster!". My son stopped in his track - "Wait, you mean YOU planted this thing!!!??". Never again.

I suppose this species would be more manageable in more extreme mediterranean climates (hotter summer, colder winter) than my mild California coastal site, but it still seems like a potentially highly invasive plants.

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SeÃn O.
http://about.me/seanaohara
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