Aegopodium Species, Bishop's Weed, Goutweed, Ground Elder, Snow-in-the-Mountain, Wild Masterwort
Aegopodium podagraria
Family: | Apiaceae (ay-pee-AY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Aegopodium (ee-guh-POH-dee-um) (Info) |
Species: | podagraria (pod-uh-GRAR-ee-uh) (Info) |

Category:
Perennials
Water Requirements:
Requires consistently moist soil; do not let dry out between waterings
Sun Exposure:
Sun to Partial Shade
Light Shade
Partial to Full Shade
Full Shade
Foliage:
Grown for foliage
Herbaceous
Good Fall Color
Foliage Color:
Orange/Apricot
Height:
12-18 in. (30-45 cm)
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Spacing:
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 3a: to -39.9 °C (-40 °F)
USDA Zone 3b: to -37.2 °C (-35 °F)
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
Where to Grow:
Grow outdoors year-round in hardiness zone
Can be grown as an annual
Suitable for growing in containers
Danger:
Parts of plant are poisonous if ingested
Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction
Bloom Color:
White/Near White
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer
Other details:
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
By dividing the rootball
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; direct sow after last frost
By simple layering
Seed Collecting:
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Auburn, Alabama
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Sparks, Nevada
Munsonville, New Hampshire
Binghamton, New York
Buffalo, New York(2 reports)
Elba, New York
Norwood, New York
Olean, New York
Southold, New York
Syracuse, New York
Bucyrus, Ohio
Bend, Oregon
Central Point, Oregon
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Malvern, Pennsylvania
Millerstown, Pennsylvania
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Port Matilda, Pennsylvania
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Warminster, Pennsylvania
Eglon, West Virginia
Deerfield, Wisconsin
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Negative | On Dec 30, 2014, pmmGarak from Göppingen, Invasive and annoying, as most of the comments say. I do like the taste, but you just can't eat it at the rate it grows. In my area, the propagation through seeds works just as well as the root thing, so unless i'd get my neighbors to join the battle.... most positive thing I can say: it forces me to keep my soil deeply loosened from pulling up that stuff. |
Negative | On Aug 5, 2014, cazort from Jenkintown, PA wrote: This is probably on my top 10 list of most hated plants. It is extremely aggressive, spreading by underground roots. Thankfully, it does not seem to spread well by seeds. But it spreads quickly and shuts out other plants. It seems to grow equally well in sun and shade, and it is most aggressive in rich soils. |
Negative | On Feb 25, 2014, coriaceous from ROSLINDALE, MA wrote: A noxious weed here in Massachusetts, spreading both by seed and underground by stolons. In the garden, this is a nasty thug, hard to control and almost impossible to eradicate. |
Negative | On Feb 15, 2014, Rickwebb from Downingtown, PA wrote: One of the worst weeds of all time! Invades all around it, getting into everything. Difficult to dig out because of so many thin white horizontal roots all through the ground. This green mother form often appears in the white variegated goutweed 'Snow-on-the-Mountain' and out competes its cultivar. Must constantly attack it all season to kill it off. Round-Up on new young foliage may work; otherwise, not. |
Negative | On Nov 21, 2012, dianeDMT from East Norriton, PA wrote: Horrid plant. Constant battle. Spent past 2 days, 10 hrs total trying to make a dent in this weed in my perennial beds. After reading many blogs and sites pertaining to this weed, am going to try newspapers, cardboard and mulch. I grows very well is S.E. PA. |
Negative | On May 15, 2012, bombtheyard from Fairmount, NY wrote: Highly invasive and highly annoying! Spreads everywhere - across walkways, driveways, even the road - and is impossible to eradicate. I've done everything mentioned here to get rid of it, and it still comes back, and trying to get rid of it just seems to make it spread more. I could never figure out if the flowers just happened to smell like cat pee or if they just attracted every cat in the neighborhood, but finally just reached the point where I cut everything down before it has a chance to flower. I am at my wit's end with it. FYI, if you think you can "contain" it with borders or edging, plan on digging deep. I've already tried going a foot deep with no luck. |
Neutral | On Oct 18, 2010, zlaugh from Munsonville, NH wrote: I eradicated Bishop's weed from my garden by pushing the pH to an extreme with fertilizer, then after the Bishop's weed was dead I rebalanced the garden soil with fresh organic pH balanced soil. Here's how I did this. In Spring remove plants that you want to keep alive. Set them aside and do not replant them in an uninfected part of the garden because any small bit of Bishop's weed hidden in the roots of your desirable plants will reappear. So carefully remove the infidel Bishop's Weed roots from your desirable plants. Honestly, it's probably best to throw them out instead of risking having them harbor the BW's roots. Okay, now we get to the fun part. To KILL the armies of Bishop's Weed in your garden, spread 1/4 -1/2 inch layer of Urea fertilizer, (also known as 46-0-0) over the Bish... read more |
Positive | On Jul 14, 2010, BendOregon from Bend, OR wrote: Here in Bend, Oregon - this plant/ground cover is delightful! It is deer resistant, shade & partial shade loving - hard to find for this area as most deer resistant plants are full sun. It's variegated cream & pastel green leaves provide interest and are visually cooling, with a nice texture. |
Positive | On May 16, 2009, dancingbear27 from Elba, NY (Zone 6a) wrote: Yes, this can be invasive but it does make a beautiful lush ground cover. The flowers also look very attractive in bouquets. It is a nice plant for a bank that you do not want to mow. |
Positive | On Apr 29, 2009, giftgas from Everson, WA (Zone 7b) wrote: Growing the "green" version of "Snow-On-The-Mountain" makes a bold statement about your personality - it's like shaving with a straight razor, when there are easier alternatives available. |
Negative | On Jul 9, 2006, alwaysbloomin from Central Point, OR wrote: This plant came with my property and I have been battling it ever since we moved in 6 yrs ago. Nothing has seemed to work....I decided to go with raised beds and hauled in 10 yds. of top soil. It has now invaded several of those beds! NEVER plant this stuff!!! I may have to move to be rid of it. |
Negative | On Apr 23, 2006, jesup from Malvern, PA (Zone 7a) wrote: Could be Neutral only because it can look nice in some situations. Pretty flowers, solid groundcover (crowds other things out). Even total drought (ground cracked, virtually no rain for almost 2 months) can't kill it (it may die back and then leaf out again once it rains). |
Negative | On Feb 1, 2006, sedum37 from Westford, MA (Zone 5b) wrote: Definitely don't grow this plant. It is very, very invasive here in Massachusetts. This plant was introduced into my garden 14 years ago, so far I've contained it to a 2 ft x 2ft area but I cannot totally eradicate it. It came in attached to another plant via a division I received from a plant swap so I did not intentionally plant it! |
Negative | On Jun 17, 2005, pizzieisbest from Buffalo, NY wrote: 35 years ago, my Grandmother brought home one of these things and it took over the whole garden! My mother and I have battled this problem since 1983. I've tried round up, weed-be-gone, vinegar, gasoline, torch, torch+gasoline, and anything else you can imagine. |
Neutral | On May 4, 2005, Breezymeadow from Culpeper, VA (Zone 7a) wrote: My first home came with this plant staunchly entrenched in a winding bed along the front walkway. Since the soil was nothing but pure red clay studded with rocks, I found it amazing to see how lush the growth was. |
Negative | On May 4, 2005, pirl from (Arlene) Southold, NY (Zone 7a) wrote: Both Goutweed and Houttneyea are terribly invasive. They go beyond "vigorus spreader" by far. I've turned over two entire garden plots and used a sifter to get the tiniest pieces of them out to no avail. I'm sure a torch would work, as suggested, but I just read that this morning. Goutweed pops up through my daylilies, Asiatic lilies, creeping phlox, sedums, etc. I can deal with lamium and some others but these two are a scourge and should only be planted in a cement lined pot within a garden surrounded by 3' deep cement. |
Neutral | On May 3, 2005, paste592 from Westminster, MD (Zone 6b) wrote: There's no doubt this beautiful groundcover is a garden thug! However, I have found a way to control it to a particular area. After trying barriers, which worked to some extent, and all the weed sprays, which also worked to a minor extent, I did find the method that really keeps it under control! ~~ A propane torch~~ |
Negative | On Oct 2, 2004, CatskillKarma from West Kill, NY wrote: My house came with this plant overwhelming all the garden beds. I religiously comb the soil every spring and fall, trying to remove it, and never make any headway. In fact, I think weeding only makes it more vigorous! I did eliminate it from one bed by spraying with Round-up three times in succession, mulching heavily, and continuing to weed new sprouts. That was two years ago, and new sprouts still emerge weekly. |
Negative | On Sep 30, 2004, phloxlove from Princeton, MA wrote: Bishop's Weed started out as a few leaves in one of my gardens piggybacking on a plant given to me by a "friend". It has now taken over quite a bit of my gardens forcing me to remove every plant and painstakingly removing every bit of its roots from around the plants I want to save. Most of the plants that are surrounded by this noxious weed succumb. It sucks all the moisture out of the ground storing it in its roots and starving anything next to it. The roots turn from tan to fat white spaghetti like strands when the area is watered. If left alone it spreads relentlessly, even taking over grassy areas. |
Neutral | On Apr 21, 2003, Baa wrote: A rhizomatous perennial from mainland Europe, Asia and parts of Russia, widely naturalised. |