A Pennsylvania homeowner begged for help on the r/NativePlantGardening Reddit forum to fix her mother's lawn mistake — 25 years later.
"My very well intentioned mother joined the F*** Lawns movement about 25 years ago," the original poster explained. "Unfortunately she planted English ivy and periwinkle!"
Considering both of these species are notoriously invasive, the OP was destined for an uphill battle. They shared that they were able to remove the ivy after a year, but the periwinkle remained stubborn.
"There's a huge patch of it that I'm just struggling with," they confessed. "The ivy I could grab and pull … With the periwinkle I feel like I have to go leaf by leaf and I'm just not getting anywhere."
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Periwinkle may look pretty, but it's a menace. Introduced to the States in the 18th century, this invasive plant is wrecking ecosystems across the eastern U.S. It grows at an incredibly rapid rate, so it's no wonder that the OP had trouble getting rid of it.
They considered cutting it down and layering it with cardboard — similar to how they dealt with the ivy — but commenters advised against it.
"Periwinkle laughs at cardboard," one commenter said.
Many of the comments recommended herbicide, but that's a controversial approach among gardeners, as it tends to spread beyond its intended site and pollute the surrounding soil, air, and water. Instead, natural and chemical-free weeding methods include solarization, hand-pulling, and filling areas with native plants.
If invasive species are allowed to grow unchecked, they push native species out of their ecosystems, causing a chain of ripple effects that can do major damage to the native flora and fauna.
Instead, a great way to restore balance and biodiversity to your area is with a native plant lawn. When it's done properly, it can cut down on your water bill and benefit local pollinators.
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If you were to switch from a grass lawn to a more natural option, which of these factors would be your primary motivation?
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Making it look better 🌱 Clover, buffalo grass, and wildflowers can all be viable options, though it depends on your area. If you learn anything from this story, it should be that research is imperative for this kind of thing — no one wants to be saddled with decades-old invasive plants.
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