What I wish I hadn't planted

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2 monsters:

Macfadyena unguis-cati: just like everyone else, I planted it to cover an unsightly fence, which it did admirably for a few years, and then it decided to take over everything, the Podocarpus, the pine, the Eucalyptus nicholii, and the entire bed below is filled with the little tubers that sprout from the many seeds in the pods that are too high up to remove before they settle in.  We are still working to keep to eliminate this, and will undoubtedly be doing so for several years.

Crocosmia: this is the tribbles of the plant world.  A neighbor gave me a few bulbs and they multiply so fast, you can’t keep up with it.  If you want to naturalize an area, they would be great – if not, only plant where confined by concrete – though they will lift it up!

Karrie Reid