Re: Wanted: really invasive perennial

I don't know where you are gardening or what the soil is like, but FWIW
here's a couple of possibilities:

What about Lamiastrum galeobdolon the yellow archangel?  It does well in
dry conditions, spreads fast (very aggressive) and has brief yellow spikes
of flowers in spring.  I have it fighting it out with pachysandra under
trees and it also goes down a bank of really rotten clay soil that gets
light to medium shade.  It grows in deep shade, too.  Remains
semi-evergreen in all but the worst winters for me.  Hardy USDA zones 3-9

Or what about Symphytum grandiflorum which works in sun or part sun or even
pretty heavy shade.  Great groundcover that will smother about anything in
its path.  Gets about 18" tall in bloom, largish rough dark green leaves
that form a mat maybe about a foot tall and little cream bell flowers in
spring from slightly orange stained buds.  Dies down in winter.  Hardy USDA
zones 3-9.

Geranium macrorrhizum will make a lovely solid ground cover, but not
immediately.  Stays evergreen for me and the foliage turns red where it
gets sun in the fall.  Really nice plant IMO.  Hardy USDA zones 3-10 but
won't do so well in Georgia or Florida...takes dry heat in southern zones
but not the intense humidity with the heat.  Does very well for me.

No matter what you plant, it won't start to really move out until its
second season at least.  So, you're going to either have to weed or use a
good mulch blanket and then still do some weeding - especially if you're
fighting ground ivy.  I've got scads of that - perpetual battle!  But, you
can lick it in areas by being pretty good about pulling every bit you see
as soon as you see it.  Eventually, it gets discouraged.

Depending on how steep your bank is, you could remove as much as you can of
the ground ivy and then cover the soil with newspaper at least 10 sheets
thick - overlapped well;  wet it down good and put mulch on it to kill off
the ground ivy.  You can also do the newspaper bit between plants when you
plant, but you have to wet it down good and cover it well with mulch
because if it gets dry it will end up blowing all over in a wind and make a
melluva hess!

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Amy Newkirk <newarn@sun-spot.com>
> Date: Saturday, April 25, 1998 10:47 AM
> 
> I have a small bank beside my drive way that is in light to part shade. 
> The people who lived in our house before planted it with blue rug juniper
> and yucca plants.  The junipers have not filled in yet like they are
> supposed to, and the bank is being overtaken by weeds.  I have a massive
> colony of ground ivy, dandelion, and clover that I can't eradicate.
> 
> Can anyone suggest a perennial to plant there that would take over, fill
in
> quickly, and give the ground ivy a run for its money?  Or should I just
let
> the ground ivy have the bank like it wants?

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