Hi,

I could be wrong but it looks like the campanula that they call Queen Palmer's Revenge around here. The founder of Colorado Springs, General Palmer, married an English lady, Queen, who decided she didn't like Colorado Springs and went home to England. Guess she really didn't like our gardens since this nasty weed is named after her.

If that is what you have, any little piece of root left in the soil will bring more of the plants. And while it has nice campanula type flowers, they reseed easily which, of course, brings more of the monsters.

I have tried pulling them, digging them and smothering them to no avail. So now in late spring, I bring out a cup of round up and a sponge paint brush and dab away at them. One to two applications normally takes care of them. Of course, I don't get them all but I pull the flower stalks from anything threatening to bloom and save the rest for killing in the spring.

I would assume that the round up method would work at any time but I really hate to pull out the round up once the gardens are full and lush.

I can't say I am winning the war but I seem to be able to keep them in check.

Good luck, Nancy

Thanks Nancy. I'll give it a try.
Diane

Campanula rapunculoides, perhaps.

Calphotos

USDA Plants profile

Lady Bells . . . ain't no lady.

Steve's digits

That's the nasty plant I am talking about. I don't think it is a native so whoever introduced it into my neighborhood ain't no lady (or gentleman) either! :)

Nancy

Not the Campanulas suggested. I have those too and they are not as bad as this mystery plant. This plant has not flowered and doesn't get tall. It is only a couple of inches tall: the leaves just keep getting bigger and spread out flat.
Any other ideas?
Diane

Huh. I sent the foto to the BH, who used to work at the Extension office. Too new around here to know all the weeds!

Dan

Diane, I think it may be that lower leaves and, perhaps, 1st year growth differs from later when the plant blooms.

Look at the heart-shaped leaves in 1 of these photo's.

However, I am just as likely to be completely off-base.

Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Dan Tenaglia's Missouri Plants

Thanks Steve. I have that plant too and it is not the plant that I am asking about.

The leaves on this are quite large, 3" wide by 4" long and although they are somewhat heart-shaped, they are much rounder and there is no central stem. All of the leaves come from the root and it is prostrate. I hit most of them with Round-up as suggested. I will get after the rest of them this weekend. I am sure it will take me a few years to get rid of all of it. I keep wondering if I planted this from seed last year! That would be funny. Or not.
Diane