Q: A weed is taking over one of my landscaping beds. It has glossy green leaves in groups of three and little white flowers. Can you tell me what it is and how I can kill it?
— Michael Walkowiec
Boardman
A: From the photos you supplied, it appears you have wild strawberry growing in your bed. As long as you haven’t treated the area with pesticide, you can eat the tiny fruit it produces.
Wild strawberry can be pesky, however. It’s a perennial plant that spreads by sending out underground runners.
Probably the best way to tackle it in a landscaping bed is to just keep pulling it when you see it, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. That’s easiest to do when the soil is wet. If you keep removing the leaves, eventually the roots will die because the plant can’t make food through photosynthesis.
If the weed spreads into your lawn or an area where pulling is difficult, you can treat it with a post-emergent broadleaf weed killer when the plants are actively growing in spring or fall.
Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.
