With the advent of spring, The Ugly Plant is
making another campaign on the unplanted, tilled earth. Alexander would have
been back in Persia in a heartbeat had he met a foe with the sheer tactical
genius of this plant. It is “The Ugly Plant” because, while plain in appearance,
it is down right despicable in character.
It starts with blitzkrieg
strategies, traveling double-time under mulch, gravel or loosened soil before
any organized resistance can be raised. Then it entrenches itself, digging in
deep with coiled, white roots that can reach down eight inches. You can
practically see the bayonet tips glistening over the foxholes.
It scoffs at weed barriers. In
fact, it prefers them, using the moisture under the plastic to stay lush and
green through dry weather. Whenever it chooses, it rips a new hole in the
material and springs up farther down the line, by means I cannot determine and
would rather not speculate about.
When attacked, it gives every
appearance of falling back but it’s just subterfuge. The leaves comes off, the
roots come out but they always leave behind tiny bits as fine as hairs, all of
which will quickly spring into full blown colonies, forming their own battle
lines with an eye towards expansion. I want it gone.
The
Resistance
These plants were tough
enough to hold their ground against The Ugly Plant. If you face a similar foe,
you might find them useful.
-
Shrubs, sub-shrubs and perennials
that completely shade the ground beneath them
-
Dianthus species (pinks)
-
Any grass, edible or
ornamental
Collaborators
These ground covers
happily co-exist with the enemy, allowing it to overwhelm weaker neighbors. Be
prepared to weed should you use large expanses of them.
Escalation
The Ugly Plant hasn’t a
prayer against these but they can cause problems of their own. They do have
redeeming virtues, so you might want to substitute a pleasant spreading plant
for an unwanted one.
Text
and images Copyright 1998 Cyndi Kirkpatrick. All rights reserved
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