Q: I have anemones growing in my front yard. They have gotten out of hand and I want to get rid of them. I've tried digging them up, pulling the shoots, spraying them with Roundup, but nothing has worked. Any suggestions? RK, County Dublin
A: Anemone is a very large genus with many species that grow or grow semi-wild in Irish gardens, from the spring-flowering woodland anemone (Nemone sylvestris) to the late summer/autumn flowering Japanese anemone (Anemone x hybrida).
It's not clear which species you are referring to, but I think it is probably the latter. Anemones are graceful ornamental perennials with saucer-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white on long, slender stems, and are a staple of Irish flower beds and available from most Irish garden centres. However, they can get arguably aggressive when left unchecked, to the point where they are now considered invasive by some gardeners, which is exactly what your anemones seem to have become.
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It is difficult to eradicate completely, as its underground stems spread far and wide through the soil, intertwining with the root balls of other plants and hiding among paving, walkways and hedges. Repeated digging out of the root debris certainly helps a lot to suppress it, but this must be done carefully and continuously for many years, and at the same time care must be taken not to disturb neighbouring plants that you want to keep.
If it grows to the point where it completely takes over your garden, another, more extreme option is to leave the area as grass for a few years, mowing regularly – you should eventually be able to kill the plant, as long as you are careful to remove any roots hiding in gaps in nearby hedges, paving, walls or fences.
As an organic farmer, I do not recommend the use of chemical herbicides like Roundup. However, if you do want to use them, it is important to wear proper protective clothing (goggles, gloves, face protection) and use them safely on a dry, windless, not too hot day to avoid splashes. Also, Roundup is a contact herbicide, which means it is only effective when applied to the leaves of actively growing plants, from where it migrates to the root system. This process requires a rain-free period of at least 6 hours after application. Repeated treatments will almost certainly be necessary.
