Roadside vegetation

• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  11 May 2015     19:10282393
  #1       report
  The roadside of the bus route from Dover to Folkestone is completely taken over by a fern type plant once past the houses.
  
  It is growing so high that road signs will soon be obscured.
• howard mcsweeney1

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 12 Mar 2008
  • Posts: 62,352
  11 May 2015     19:16282394
  #2       report
  Even taking over the Castle.
  
  
  
  

  
• Guest 640

  • Registered: 21 Apr 2007
  • Posts: 7,819
  12 May 2015     12:17282423
  #3       report
  

  
  
  yes its everywhere..it seems to throttle the life out of all other vegetation. What is it??..is it the infamous Japanese knotweed ..or whatever its called? You can see it spurting over the walls above there.
  email: dover7@msn.com
• Reginald Barrington

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 17 Dec 2014
  • Posts: 3,258
  12 May 2015     16:30282430
  #4       report
  Ground Elder, its had a really good couple of years with the mild winters, grows upto about 6ft, underground it has a large bulb that looks almost identical to fennel bulbs.
  Arte et Marte
• Bob Whysman

  • Registered: 23 Aug 2013
  • Posts: 1,938
  17 May 2015     19:35282631
  #5       report
  Ground Elder doesn't grow much higher than 1 metre high so I would suggest that it is more than likely to be Alexanders,
  (Smyrnium olusatrum).
  
  This is very prolific this year, as you say Reginald, due to the ideal growing conditions. Spot on too with the fennel type roots.
  
  
  www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/alexanders
  Do nothing and nothing happens.
• Brian Dixon

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 23 Sep 2008
  • Posts: 23,940
  17 May 2015     20:01282635
  #6       report
  if its what bob says,its easy to get rid of.cut to ground levau and give a squirt of roundup.
• Reginald Barrington

  • Location: Dover
  • Registered: 17 Dec 2014
  • Posts: 3,258
  17 May 2015     21:25282650
  #7       report
  You're right Bob, I've been calling it ground elder for so long as it so similar looking, but Alexanders is a bigger plant and far easier to get rid than Elder.
  I'll be clearing some from a garden your way soon Brian
  Arte et Marte