Rooted Plants and Uprooted Gardeners

Here it is, a list of plants that readers of the Los Angeles Times recommend not be planted. In this column last Saturday, we singled out a few of those that readers most often named, and we will single out a few more now, but those in the accompanying chart received bad marks from at least two readers, which is enough to make them suspect.

One big surprise in this quest for plants that may become pests, or outright menaces, was the lovely, and very common, cape honeysuckle, but listen to what one reader had to say: “Seducing the innocent nursery customer with its demure appearance, it is brought home to enhance a bare spot with its small, orange-red tubular flowers (a favorite thirst-quencher for hummingbirds). But, alas, by the second anniversary of being released from its one gallon container, the cape honeysuckle’s tenacious tentacles are well on their way to an unfriendly takeover of the garden. Runners 12 to 15 feet long, rooting every foot or so as they go, are spreading in every conceivable direction. And tin snips are required to trim them back.”

Underground Runners

Another: “Any place the branches touch soil, they root, plus they send out underground runners. Our landscaper put this in, and I could wring his neck! It has taken over (from one plant) a 400-square-foot area!”

The morning glory, the common one usually planted as seed, is another plant that accumulated a lot of bad marks from readers. One said: “The other thing I am sorry I ever planted was that packet of morning glory seeds. It was beautiful when it bloomed. Then it went to seed, and to seed, and to seed. Those seeds got into my rose bed, and every year during summer when the roses are huge, those miserable little vines start winding up the thorny canes driving me nuts. And, while we’re at it, my neighbor should be strung up for planting bamboo and ivy in her yard. They have forced their way into my yard every way they can. Perhaps I should throw some morning glory seeds in her yard!”

Neighbors seem to harbor many menacing plants: “My nomination is the rice paper plant Tetrapanax papyriferus . These plants have been growing in our neighbor’s garden for many years. In our garden, we get a new supply of seedlings many times a year. Or, are these new plants from root runners? Inasmuch as the seedlings very often return in the same spots, I’m most curious.”

It would appear that the new plants come from the roots.

From another reader: “It wasn’t long before the suckers were sending up new plants in our lawn as well as the neighbor’s; in our driveway as well as the neighbor’s; and even under our house. Every rice paper plant that I removed prompted three or four new suckers. It was a real sorcerer’s apprentice. I got rid of them by moving from Hawthorne to Northridge.” What about the poor neighbor?

Dug Out Plant

Another seconds the theory that the trouble is coming from the roots: “When we moved into our house 25 years ago, there was a large rice paper plant shading the guest house, which was badly in need of paint. My painter refused to work anywhere near it, claiming that it caused lung and skin irritation. Well, my good reliable painter was more important than the plant so I dug it out. I thought.

“Very soon my lawn was a field of rice paper shoots. My children were young and needed to learn the value of money, so I paid them to pull up the shoots, at a penny a piece. It was a very busy and expensive summer, but I did get rid of the pest.”

For the record, the rice paper plant came in third, just behind ivy and asparagus fern, and it does have a reputation for causing rashes.

Though I would be suspect of any plant in our list, it is important to realize that not all people feel the same about each candidate for infamy.

For instance, one reader wrote in and asked: “Where can I obtain Lobelia laxiflora mentioned in your column? It sounds perfect for my dry hillside.”

This, you might recall, is what prompted the call for entries--my battle to remove this plant from my garden (a battle that is not yet over), but here is someone who wants to plant it. I don’t know if I should mention where it is available, because it might sound like the nurseries that carry it are harboring a pest, but it is a popular plant in the South Coast area, and I did happen to see it at Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach and at least one other nursery.

Ornamental Plants

Also a number of readers confused outright weeds with ornamental plants that become weeds. For instance, several of those having trouble with morning glories were actually battling a weed, wild morning glory Convolvulus arvensis , which has small white flowers. This morning glory not only spreads by seeds but by underground roots--even the tiniest bit of underground root left behind when weeding. It is one of the worst weeds in the garden.

Perhaps what is the worst weed in my garden was also mentioned because people thought it was an ornamental onion or garlic. This bulbous plant has gray-green narrow leaves and little clusters of white flowers. The flowers make lots of little black seeds and every one is sure to sprout. If this were not bad enough, the bulb makes dozens of tiny bulblets that fall away as you attempt to dig it up.

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve sent a sample off to get identified and will report back. I am losing the battle on this one and may have to move to get rid of it, as one of our readers did, but not to Hawthorne, just on the chance that I might happen to end up next to his abandoned rice paper plantation.

TIMES’ READERS WRITE OF PLANTS THAT ARE,OR COULD BECOME, A MENACE IN YOUR GARDEN

Japanese anemone

(Anemone hybrida

A. japonica

A. hupenensis japonica)

“While it was doing its thing above ground, it was much more active below ground”--B.S., Palos Verdes Estates.

Asparagus fern

(Asparagus setaceus)

“Just plain sneaky.”--B.T., Whittier.

Night jessamine

(Cestrum nocturnum)

“By the next day, what was bare dirt is now covered with 2-inch seedlings.”--B.T., Whittier.

Cashmere bouquet

(Clerodendrum bungei)

“It seems to sprout from ridiculously small pieces and worse yet, the crushed foliage smell like dirty socks.”--K.G., Fullerton.

Pampas grass

(Cortaderia selloana)

“Sword-edged leaves, tough and horrid root system.”--M.L., Santa Monica.

Montbretia

(Crocosmia crocosmiiflora

Tritonia crocosmiiflora )

“Corms multiply. Not worth the beauty.”--J.C., Whittier.

Indian mock strawberry

(Duchesnea indica)

“Chokes out everything in its way. Seedlings spring up everywhere and roots spread like wildfire.”--M.L., Santa Monica.

Female shamel ash

(Fraxinus uhdei)

“Its seeds are more prolific than rabbits.”--B.R., Corona.

Algerian ivy

(Hedera canariensis)

“My neighbors on four sides have it and I am constantly fighting to keep it out.”--C.D., Covina.

Blue dawn flower

(Ipomoea acuminata)

“In one year, it grew to the roof of a two-story building and it sends out runner 40-50 feet long.”--J.B., Claremont.

Morning glory

(Ipomoea tricolor)

“I was warned by a nursery patron as I was standing in line at the checkout counter that I’d be sorry. They seed everywhere.”--S.K., Huntington Beach.

Winter-flowering jasmine

(Jasminum polyanthum)

“Roots everywhere it touches.”--S.M., Chino.

White sweet alyssum

(Lobularia maritima)

“I have fought this plant for 40 years”--M.D., La Verne.

Giant Burmese honeysuckle

(Lonicera hildebrandiana)

“I found it growing in flower beds 100 feet from the original plant.”--S.L., Palos Verdes.

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). “You think you have it all out and there it is again!”--M.J., Carpinteria.

Four o’clock

(Mirabilis jalapa)

“They drop hundreds of seeds and the seeds are hard-shelled enough to survive time and seed-killing agents.”--G.M., Cardiff.

Sword fern

(Nephrolepis cordifolia)

“Takes over everything.”--M.L., Santa Monica.

Mexican evening primrose

(Oenothera berlandieri

O. speciosa childsii)

“Find it a nuisance, but the flowers are pretty.”B.S., Palos Verdes Estates

Ornamental Oxalis

(Oxalis purpurea)

“Spreads by runners, bulbs, seeds, you name it.”--H.H., Costa Mesa

Virginia creeper

(Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Ampelopsis)

“We filled eight bags with roots that took over my rose garden.”--L.J., Lancaster.

Passion vine

(Passiflora)

“I have seen it grow to the top of very large pines and completely smother large shrubs in a jungle-like tangle. We find the little seedlings everywhere.”--F.C., South Pasadena.

Fountain grass

(Pennisetum setaceum

P. ruppelii)

“Banned by the City of Palm Desert.”--F.L., Palm Springs.

Golden bamboo, black bamboo

(Phyllostachys aurea

P. nigra)

“Like Bermuda grass but a whole lot bigger.”--I.S., West Los Angeles.

Obedient plant

(Physostegia virginiana)

“A misnomer for certain!”--J.D., Costa Mesa.

Tobira

(Pittosporum tobira)

“Spread their seeds everywhere.”--S.F., Santa Ynez.

Cape plumbago

(Plumbago auriculata

P. capensis)

“The root mass is impenetrable to a shovel.”--J.R., Santa Barbara.

Spring cinquefoil

(Potentilla tabernaemontanii

P. verna

P. verna Nana)

“To my horror, it inundated the rose garden.”--B.R., Culver City.

Bracken fern

(Pteridium aquilinum)

“Makes Bermuda grass look absolutely sedate.”--K.G., Fullerton.

Pincushion flower

(Scabiosa atropurpurea

S. grandiflora)

“Never let the faded flowers go to seed.”--N.R., Flintridge.

Cape honeysuckle

(Tecomaria capensis

Tecoma capensis)

“Our landscaper put this in and I could wring his neck! It has taken over (from one plant) a 400-square foot area!”--N.R., Flintridge.

Rice paper plant

(Tetrapanax papyriferous

Aralia papyrifera)

“It was a real sorcerer’s apprentice. I got rid of it by moving from Hawthorne to Northridge.”-- R.B., Los Angeles.

Sweet violet

(Viola odorata)

“My parents used to make me pull them up instead of writing sentences.”--K.W., Los Angeles.

Johnny-jump-up

(Viola tricolor)

“They reseed so quickly, and so far!”--K.W., Los Angeles.

Periwinkle

(Vinca major)

“Taking over our garden.”--D.C., Santa Monica.