Eradicating Bishop’s Weed (Ground Elder) from the Garden

Tackling One of the Most Invasive Garden Weeds

Bishop’s weed (Aegopodium podagraria), also called ground elder, is a relentless spreader. Its rhizomes can extend 6–36 inches per year, choking out desirable plants. In several states, it’s legally classified as a noxious weed.

Why It’s So Hard to Remove

The plant spreads primarily through underground rhizomes, not seeds. Even a tiny fragment left in the soil can regenerate. Single cultivation won’t work; repeated, thorough digging is required.

Effective Strategies

• Persistent digging: Fork out every piece of rhizome, sifting soil carefully. Repeat multiple times over a season.
• Sheet mulching: Smother with cardboard and thick mulch for a full year.
• Tagetes minuta (stinking marigold): This allelopathic annual releases root chemicals that suppress ground elder. Cut flowers before they set seed.
• Herbicide (last resort): Glyphosate can work but risks harming nearby perennials. Use with extreme caution.

Legal Note

Bishop’s weed is banned in Connecticut, prohibited in Massachusetts, and a Class B noxious weed in Vermont. Check local regulations before planting or moving soil.

Persistence Pays

Complete eradication may take years. Stay vigilant, remove every sprout promptly, and consider replacing the area with aggressive, desirable groundcovers.