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oceangirlme

Invasive Trout Lily

oceangirlme
9 years ago

Ok, it's not technically a weed but it is over taking our lawn.

We have had a few trout lilies here and there for the past few years. We never had a problem of them really spreading until last year.

Last year, we were told to put a drop or two of Roundup on each leaf to destroy the trout lilies in the areas that we did not want them. Unfortunately, it also killed the lawn in those areas.

This year, they have spread to the point that we have areas that are 10' x 10' that are just covered with them. We don't mind them on the edges of the property but they are sprouting up into the middle of our lawn.

Any suggestions of how to kill some of them off short of killing all of our lawn?

Thanks!

Comments (7)

  • HU-826921485
    5 years ago

    Erythroniums are Spring ephemerals. Just let the flowers and leaves die back, and enjoy them next Spring. If anything, add bulbs such as snowdrops, scilla, iris reticulate and native crocuses. These are all low growing plants.

    Several decades ago, I started expanding our garden by taking out parts of the lawn and planting annuals and bulbs We have flowers from late winter ( some snowdrops popped out January 1 one year, and we live in Toronto, Canada. One of the latest to bloom are colchicums). People stop to admire and take photographs. It is a constantly changing tableaux. Bees and butterflies are visiting the phlox and purple coneflowers at the moment.

  • Embothrium
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Compromise by skipping the mowing where they are when their tops are up, yet still mowing that part of the lawn the rest of the time.

    If they are coming in where the lawn is thin and poor due to shading, as would pretty much be expected maybe it would be just as well not to have lawn in that part of your garden anyway. Much of the time lawns that get full of flowering plants and mosses aren't located in suitable exposures (and soils) for the production and maintenance of a thick patch of nothing but turf grasses.

    And after I wrote all that I saw this one was from 4 years ago.

  • HU-826921485
    5 years ago

    The post about invasive trout lilies is four years old but still came up on a simple "trout lily" search. I was looking for a bulb supplier so that I could plant some trout lilies in our shade garden under a Red Oak that is over a century old. The more variety, the better.

    I have just started researching mycrorrhizae. I picked up some Pro Mix Mychrorrhizae growing medium from Plant Products Inc over a year ago and have started paying more attention to what it could do for my garden.

    Happy gardening!

  • HU-501668805
    4 years ago

    I just received 5 yellow (native) trout lily bulbs in the mail that I paid $25 for from Prairie Nursery in Wisconsin. Maybe you could sell the. It would be a shame to kill them. Where do you live?

  • HU-867577263
    11 months ago

    I have trout lily growing in my garden and want to kill it. How do I do this without killing my shrubs and ornamental trees?


  • Jay 6a Chicago
    11 months ago
    last modified: 11 months ago

    The Erythronium are where they've always been. It's the lawn that doesn't belong there. Keep trying to mold land into your own selfish image and there won't be any native wildflowers left anywhere. You don't even consider allowing people who would love to have them, an oportunity to rescue them. Just nuke em and kill them. How ignorant and selfish you are. Our planet is dying because of people with attitudes like yours. Sickening! Erythonium americanum is NOT invasive! You are. There are native bees that specialize in Erythronium. Their whole existence depends on Erythronium. They are dissapearing along with all our other native bees, because of pollution, pesticides and habitat loss by developement, because there's too many fricking people on this planet, yet people continue to breed like rabbits.