Invasive yarrow

Image: dirkr/iStockphoto | 05 Sep 2008

Several years ago I planted yarrow in one of my hanging baskets. It seeded into my nearby lawn – and now it is “taking over” the rest of my lawn! Do you have any suggestions as to how I can rid my lawn of this very invasive plant?

Wendy Thomson, GardenWise Editorial Assistant

We get lots of questions on dealing with invasives, so you’re definitely not alone. Unfortunately, yarrow is well-known for being drought tolerant, deer resistant and a lover of very poor soil. Basically, nasty treatment just makes it more determined to win a place in your heart. If you live in a harsh climate zone, or have inhospitable soil, this is your plant.

However, if you’d like just a little yarrow, you’ll have to watch it constantly to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand. Carolyn Herriot offers some general advice for dealing with invasives on her blog here.

But, by chance, I also found this fantastic article on controlling invasives as naturally as possible on an old blog entry for TheMondayGarden.com. It really covers every detail of dealing with invasives and I thought you might enjoy it.

Patience and persistence!