Does anyone know what this "plant" is?

[metrorock11]

All I know, is that it"s running riot in my very small flower bed! Not sure if it"s a weed or what? Any info greatfully received. Thank you.

[cookiecookuk]

sorry do not know but i think it is pretty.:-)

[metrorock11]

It is rather pretty cookie. Also indistructable! I keep thinning it out but it keeps on coming back! Cuttings anyone? lol

[chickengrandma-2008]

Rubiaceae Galium odoratum

Is that it?

[bidder.17]

Looks and sounds like, the more common name sweet woodruff.

[metrorock11]

Thank you Chicken! It does look like a "woodruff".

[chickengrandma-2008]

You're welcome. 🙂

[metrorock11]

Thank you bidder17.

[bidder.17]

No problem, just confirming really.

If it's a very small flower bed, then it may not be an ideal plant for that location.

If I recall correctly, it spreads via a sort of creeping rootstock, or more accurately, rhizome.

That will mean removing any surplus growth you don't want periodically.

If it's a large area you want to cover to suppress weeds, it's your plant.If it's just for a small bed it may crowd out other things.

[borzoi369]

If it's a large area you want to cover to suppress weeds, it's your plant.

Ohhhhh - would it be good ground cover / fight over nettles do you know please? 🙂

[mr-expresso]

 Not sure if it"s a weed

I was once told that a weed was a flower ...but in the wrong place...

[bidder.17]

I did have in mind the smaller, annual weeds at the time, but I will try to answer.

Nettles that you might find in your garden, often have a fairly lengthy root attached, and are quite robust growers and their structure is fairly solid, so you might find a few poking their heads above surrounding plants, even those that are quite dense.

They can set seed, so in this sense, anything that grows before their seeds can germinate, and provide a canopy to shade them out is likely to exclude them generally. To that end, anything which is dense enough, grows quickly enough, or earlier enough would provide the sort of cover you might need depending on soil, aspect, cost etc.

A more permanent cover would be even more likely to exclude them.

Once they have grown, and can access light, then they will continue; the idea of ground cover plants is to stop or hinder germination/initial growth, such that they run out of steam, before their heads get above anything else

It depends therefore what area you want to cover, where, and any preferences, and cost.

With plant under discussion in the op, all you need is a bit of rhizome with some foliage attached preferably.

Quite a few are similar in the sense that they propagate themselves and people are quite happy to donate surplus growth.

If you already have nettles, note when they first appear in your garden, not just when they

are large, that way you have an idea of timing.

If you look at ground cover plants in general say on an RHS site it should tell you a few details along with pictures of the plants in general, so you can choose.

If you don't want the nettles, better to remove them before they seed, that way you reduce next years crop.

Some grow nettles specifically for certain properties, e.g, if left to compost in water, and then heavily dilute in water, some claim it's rich in nutrients for feeding plants. It's also quite pungent too.

[borzoi369]

Thanks for all that Bidder 17 - very helpful 🙂

"robust growers" - yessssss, don't we know it !!

Never realised or thought about blocking them by something else growing faster over them - great idea 🙂

Did have some success one year with frequent strimming from as soon as they popped up but wasn't able to keep it up so they set seed and problem continues. Don't mind having some for the butterflies etc but do mind them taking over all the ground - of which there is quite a lot.

I'd hoped to turn the pet graveyard into an area for wildflowers ( or any flowers ) but no chance of that happening with the nettles winning the battle, grrrrrr.

[ilove2patch]

There were some in the lane at the back of my house but I put weedkiller on them.

[bidder.17]

If you can deny a plant light for long enough, it won't survive

Strimming will work, but as you imply, it needs to be as soon as they pop their heads above ground, or they will just replenish their reserves, and have enough to come back again. Catch them as soon as you see the first bit of green and they wont.

There are numerous shrubs with all year round foliage down to the base which would exclude any growth by other plants underneath.

If you wanted a flower garden, it would need to be densely packed if the problem is ongoing. It may be that there are nettles elsewhere and the seed is wind carried.
You could try some semi permeable membrane if the area is not too large, or the budget will stretch, or some form of bark chippings, which might allow you to build up your flowers, whilst checking the nettles, though the chippings might need to be liberally applied.

Meanwhile you might like to recycle the nettles as they are normally a good activator.

[borzoi369]

LOL Patch - as already mentioned - a weed is only a flower in the wrong place. I love dandelions and buttercups but know not everyone does, it's just the nettles being so darn all encompassing that annoys me.

They have lots of other space here where I leave them alone, but yes, does mean Bidder, that we're always going to be at risk of re-seeding ..... if I ever get on top of the couple of areas I'd like to keep clear.

"numerous shrubs with all year round foliage down to the base" .........that sounds the way forward to me, thanks 🙂

[ilove2patch]

I have some spray weedkiller & I spray them when they are small. The people at the end of the lane leave theirs & it is a hazard walking through with the dog. I might sneak down & spray theirs too although they are a good two foot high!