I try to keep my blogs upbeat, to share fun and mostly positive information. Please forgive me if today’s post veers toward hysteria. A weed is attempting to overtake New Hope Farm, and probably all of North America. That thug is Fatoua villosa, or Mulberryweed.
According to the UGA Horticulture Department, it has been detected in all states east of the Mississippi, from Florida to Indiana and also in Arkansas. It is a native of eastern Asia and was introduced into New Orleans in the 1950s.
The seedlings look innocuous enough. One might even mistake them for salvia babies. But by the time you realize that it is not innocent, the damage is done. Those fuzzy little green balls all along the stem are blooms and seeds. Every one of those seeds will germinate.
Sources say they prefer shady, moist areas, but in the Mary Snoddy garden they are not picky about soil, temperature, moisture or sun. I’ve seen them sprout in the cracks of the driveway and in the mortar of my brick patio. It is an annual, which means that (in theory) you can control it by removing every plant before any reseeding occurs. I have found this to be impossible, so I have established a three-prong attack: pre-emergent herbicide, a broad spectrum herbicide or broad-leaf specific herbicide applied with a sponge paintbrush, and attentive weeding. They can go from seed to flower in two weeks, and can spit those seeds up to four feet away.
Mulberryweed is troublesome in nurseries, too, so police your newly purchased plants to ensure that you did not adopt any unwelcome hitchhikers. Gardeners must be vigilant! Thanks for reading my rant – I’ll return to happy news next week.
