If you've ever wrestled with ground elder (Aegopodium podagraria), you'll know just how tenacious this plant can be. One minute, you spot a few innocent-looking leaves at the back of the border, and the next thing you know, it’s elbowing your perennials out of the way. Shoots are emerging seemingly everywhere in your flower beds, smothering your Geraniums. The big question about ground elder is why it seems to be everywhere and why they are so difficult to eradicate.
Let’s unravel the leafy mystery of why ground elder is one of the most problematic weeds to get rid of.
The primary reason ground elder is so prevalent is due to its rapid spread. It’s a rhizomatous perennial, meaning it sends out underground stems, known as rhizomes, that stretch far and wide beneath the soil. These rhizomes are incredibly tough, fast-growing and persistent. You might think you’ve dug it all out, only for a tiny segment of root left behind to regenerate and sprout again. That’s right: even a fingernail-sized bit of root can grow into a full plant within a matter of weeks.
These rhizomes are particularly adept at navigating tight, shady spaces, such as under shrubs, hedges, and fences. This means they can remain undetected for years in neglected areas of the garden or be passed between neighbours without anyone realising.
This is the biggest niggle with ground elder, its not just a case of removing it once. It is a continual battle to remove any traces of the plant, sometimes for years before it's completely gone*. (*There is some argument that you can never fully get rid of it, but I'm the eternal optimist)
Ground elder isn’t technically a native UK plant, even though you've seen it forever, pretty much in every hedgerow. The Romans introduced it not as a pest but as a valuable culinary and medicinal herb. I do take issue with people saying it's not a native plant. It's been here over a thousand years, so I would say it's earned the right to now be a native!
Historically, it was eaten in soups and stews, especially in spring when other greens were scarce. The young leaves are edible, tasting somewhere between parsley and spinach. Ground elder was also used as a remedy for gout and arthritis (hence the Latin name podagraria, which relates to foot pain).
Because of its usefulness, it was planted deliberately around monasteries, gardens, and estates as an early-season crop. Over time, it escaped cultivation and found its way into wild and semi-wild places, where its survival tactics allowed it to thrive unchecked. As it is such a tenacious and successful propagator by rhizomes, it has been unmatched in its ability to spread like wildfire.
Unlike many garden plants that need sun and rich soil, ground elder is an adaptable survivor. It grows happily in deep shade, tolerates drought once established, and isn’t fussy about soil type, whether you have sand, clay or silty soil. This gives it a distinct advantage over fussier perennials and allows it to colonise neglected areas where little else will grow. It’s often found in woodland edges, under hedgerows, or at the back of borders where light is limited and competition is minimal.
Because it can photosynthesise and establish itself quickly in early spring, it gets a fast head start on other plants. Usually by March, it's in full leaf here in the UK, making ground elder a weed you really need to control quickly each season.
By the time you’re noticing its distinctive, toothed, apple-green leaves, it’s already bulked up underground and sent out new rhizomes, ready to take over any free space in your garden flower beds.
Another reason it’s so widespread is because of the unintentional spread by gardeners. Ground elder can easily hitch a ride in the rootballs of other plants, in gifted divisions from well-meaning friends, or in topsoil and compost from contaminated sources. One plant pot can carry the start of a new infestation. It’s not always easy to spot the young leaves when you're planting something new, especially when the shoots are tangled among desirable plants.
Even well-managed gardens can suddenly find themselves hosting ground elder after a landscaping project, hedge planting, or compost top-up. Once it's in, the rhizomes can travel several feet a year if left unchecked.
Because ground elder spreads underground, just pulling out the visible leaves does nothing; in fact, it might stimulate more growth, as the plant tries to regenerate. Digging can work, but it has to be meticulous. Every fragment of root needs to be removed and disposed of (not composted!), and even then, regular monitoring and repeat digging are often required for several seasons. This makes it a long game — and one that often discourages even the most determined gardeners.
In my experience the best way to remove ground elder is using a Japanese mini hand weeder or a hori-hori or failing that a small garden fork. Hand digging it out carefully is the most successful and environmentally friendly approach.
Yes, it's time-consuming, and yes, it can be uncomfortable, which is why chipping away at ground elder frequently with this method is the best bet.
I tend to use the scythe to carefully extract large sections of the leaf and root, then sieve through the soil, removing any other broken bits.
One thing you want to avoid when digging up ground elder is just pulling it out or using a spade to chop it up. You simply spread and propagate it even more, even garden forks can cause it to tear, snap and split, which is why smaller sections and more accurate garden tools are required.
There are plenty of other methods out there online, in gardening books and on reels. So, let me share my perspective on the common alternatives for eliminating ground elder and why nearly all of them are not worth the time or effort.
Blocking light from the ground elder is another effective and organic tactic. This involves covering the area with thick layers of cardboard, newspaper, or black plastic, followed by a generous mulch like compost, bark, or straw. Without sunlight, the plant’s rhizomes eventually weaken and die off. This method is most effective over one to two growing seasons and has a minimal impact on wildlife. In fact, it can improve soil health, retain moisture, and create a more favourable environment for beneficial insects and fungi.
However, as ground elder grows and spreads so quickly, you really have to smother or cover the entire garden, which is not a realistic approach.
For those who are less concerned about staying 100% organic, selective herbicides like glyphosate can be very effective, especially when applied directly to the plant’s foliage during active growth periods in spring or autumn. But this method will inevitably impact the wider environment, insects and other plants, so unless you're applying it manually with a paintbrush and not a sprayer or bottle, I would stay well clear, you will do more harm than good!
It often requires several applications and may take 1 to 2 years to clear the area completely. However, the impact on wildlife is significant: herbicides do not discriminate and can harm pollinators, beneficial insects, fungi, and nearby plants. Runoff can also affect the surrounding soil and watercourses. As I mentioned, avoid using it unless you're experienced with herbicides and apply it only on a dry, clear day.
Pouring boiling water over ground elder shoots is often listed as 'a safe and chemical-free method suited to cracks in paving or paths where the plant emerges'.
However, it's a waste of time, water and heat. It only kills the foliage and not the roots, so don't bother.
Repeatedly cutting ground elder back at the soil surface apparently can gradually exhaust its root reserves over time. It won’t eliminate the rhizomes on its own and often just causes more vigour to be put into rot creation over foliage, so it is a complete waste of time again!
Some gardening blogs and forums recommend robust ground cover plants, such as hardy Geraniums, ferns, or spreading shrubs, that can help suppress its regrowth. Again, this rarely works; in my experience, nothing can outcompete ground elder, so don't waste your time.
Another urban myth associated with ground elder is covering the ground with clear plastic during hot summer months, which traps solar heat and essentially cooks the top few inches of soil. When the ground is moist and the sun is strong, this technique can, in theory, damage rhizomes and seeds. However, it also kills the soil, killing beneficial bacteria, earthworms and any nesting bees. So again, it isn't worth the single-use plastic or effort.
Last but not least the weed flamer or weed gun. Using a flame gun to scorch ground elder leaves is another method, but it’s not effective on its own. It only kills what’s above ground and leaves the rhizomes untouched. It also poses a fire risk, especially in dry conditions, and can harm insects and ground-nesting pollinators. Not recommended for general use in planted borders.
Before you go scorched-earth on your ground elder, it’s worth knowing that it does have some redeeming qualities — especially if you enjoy foraging or edible gardening. The young leaves (before they mature and get tough) are edible and nutritious. You can eat them raw in salads, sauté them like spinach, or chuck them into a spring soup. In herbal medicine, ground elder was once a go-to for treating inflammation, particularly gout and rheumatism.
Pollinators love ground elder flowers, which act as a much-needed nectar and pollen source for them. Ground elder’s umbrella-like/ umbellifer flower heads in late spring and early summer offer up a buffet of food and resources for wildlife. They’re particularly attractive to hoverflies, which are beneficial in controlling aphids. So it's not all bad!
That said, most gardeners would gladly trade a hoverfly or two for a ground elder-free garden! However, if you find it under your hedgerows and it's not impacting your flower beds, I would advise you to leave it be!
If you’re ready to do more than just battle ground elder and want to start shaping a garden that truly works for you, why not level up your skills with one of my online gardening courses?
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Getting rid of ground elder is a royal pain, but it is doable with smaller precision hand tools. For larger areas, yes, you may either need to concede to its presence, smother it in horrible plastic or reach for a controlled use of weed killer (which I always advocate against).
Focusing on early control with a Japanese weeder, such as a hori hori, and keeping on top of its presence is the best way to eliminate ground elder. However, please let me know in the comments below if you have found any other suitable tips.
Happy Gardening!
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