I call this Strawberry weed because thats what it resembles to me.
If anyone else has this INVADER in their garden please chime in with what your experience has been.

I bought a Goatsbeard plant from an online nursery in 2008 and noticed this Strawberry weed in the pot. I didnt think much of it at the time but here I am 6 years later with the worst invasive weed ever.



I weeded a small patch in 2009 and noticed it didnt have much effect and now this weed is everywhere in a garden that measures 20 feet by 15 feet.
The weed grows into and over everything in its way.


There is an Obsidian Heuchera in there somewhere.



It spreads by two ways. The main weed clump roots more plants and it sends runners to set another plant wherever.



I have weeded an area only to see more in a few days. This weed also competes for territory with Lamiums and keeps the big thistle weeds at bay. Thats the only good thing I can say about it.

If anyone else has done battle with Strawberry invader let us know even if you just leave it alone as a ground cover.

Count on me to have it! The invasives must love my gardens.

When I was persistent about removing it in one area I succeeded but it still grows in other spots. You'd have to rescue any good plants and then try and kill it but carefully go through the roots of anything you remove to be certain no roots of the invasive have hitchhiked with it.

Is it Duchesnea indica?

From your pics, I'd dig out what I wanted to salvage, than put the area under cardboard/mulch until mid-summer. Then dig a small test hole to check for deadness. Agreed, I would bare-root and rinse anything I was trying to save.

Tiffany I dont think it is Duchesnea indica. This weed has a multilevel many petaled bloom, almost a ball.

Sorry, I don't see a pic of the bloom. Take a look at Potentilla.

Tiffany I will see if there is a bloom after the sun comes up. Sorry.

Saw something similar elsewhere, Fragaria x 'Lipstick'

Tiffany, thanks for the info. I am pretty sure its Wild Strawberry Weed.
http://www.mylawnadvice.com/br...

Fragaria virginiana? I couldn't find a more specific name on that link but that's what came up with that name in a search. Looks like a match, but all of these kinds of plants look similar by leaf, at least to me. Many of the plants shown there are natives (for those of us in the US,) like F. virginiana. Looks annoyingly happy in your garden though, whatever it is. I thought Arlene was on the right track regarding getting rid of it.

It seems to return just like Lamium/dead nettle. I can only guess the seeds must be eaten by the birds and they deposit them as they please.

I admit to not scouring Google for articles and only find bits admiting it is a weed. No where is there a example of how to rid it from the garden permanently.
Pirl is right. In early May there isnt a sign of it, by June its everywhere.

And it happens day after day - like a very nasty miracle. You can remove every piece of it but the next day you'll have it again.

I Rounduped an area or two last summer. Everything died but by August the neighboring weeds had moved in. The area was filled with Salvias and Iris. Oddly the perennials and lilies seem to push their way up thru the weed.

So do sedum and astilbe around here.

Just ran across this thread I have
mock strawberry (Duchesnea indica)
and wild strawberry (fragaria virginia)

The mock has yellow flowers and fruit does NOT taste like a strawberry
The Wild is just like a tiny ''real''strawberry , white flower and strong strawberry taste and smell.

your plant looks a little different than either of mine but I do believe it to be a potentilla there are so many.

Cinda, thanks. I havnt seen berries but that doesn't mean anything as I am not in the garden much duering the time plants would set fruit. Mine do have yellow blooms.
It dies back in winter, then starts up in spring along with the lamiums.