I just finished weeding a plot(again) where we want to plant 2 fruit tree next spring. It is growing moss, clover, grass and that weed that has cute little white flowers, goes to seed quickly and has these 3/4 inch needle like seeds that pop when you walk through them. I hate it so much that I haven't bothered to learn its name. It just occured to me that if I quickly plant a temporary ground cover, that might help reduce the number of weeds. I need suggestions, or am I too late?

Edited by Joy C - Nov-06-2009 at 8:10am

Tell me! Tell me!--then I can swear at it properly! I love the idea of the strawberry--In fact, I think I might already have a volunteer that popped up near the back patio last August and so far produced 2 tiny edible berries! I ate one and the other either got half eaten by a slug or bird, who probably dropped the seed there too, as it is only a couple feet from the bird feeder.

I wonder if it would work to plant regular strawberry like Rainer in the same area as the F. Vesica?

Edited by Joy C - Nov-18-2009 at 9:30am

I believe what you have is Cardamine hirsuta, aka popweed, popcorn flower, or just that damn thing, lol. Check these pics out and see if it looks like your weed; Cardamine hirsuta

This is one of those plants that if you try and run it through the keys in Hitchcock's Flora of the Pacific Northwest you get to a native plant, C. oligosperma. That is a plant of wetlands, and though not all that uncommon, not at all weedy (and not bad looking in its own right, if you like small little white flowers, lol.)Because I ran it through the keys and thought it was native, I recommended a client once leave it in their garden. I've been very careful not to make that mistake again, lol.

Although you get it year round, and it can flower year round, I kind of think of this as one of the "winter weeds", one of the few that is persistent enough and active enough in the winter to make this time of year one of the times to most actively persue it. And since it CAN flower this time of year, and will set seed whenever it is warm enough, its a good idea to remember that and grab it when you see it.

But back to the strawbs... I agree that most of the hybrid culinary strawbs just don't spread as well to make a good weed suppressing groundcover. Some of the newer ones are actually bred for that trait. That and the fact that many of them will get a little taller than you might like (though that is, I admit, a subtle distinction), and I would use one or both of the natives. Not to say that you couldn't mix and match all of the above, but remember that these are closely enough related that the hybrids may cross at least with the F. vesca. Your mileage may vary of course.

Now if you can find seed or even a plant of it, there is a native clover that might work well- Trifolium wormskjoldii. It looks like a smaller version of the more typical clover, grows in moist riparian edges with things like speedwell (Veronica americana), silverweed (Potentilla anserina) and on the coast, Fragaria chiloensis (all of which would make a nice low groundcovering community for you if you want a mix, with whichever of the native strawbs you want to use.) Natives used the long tuberous roots of this clover more or less like spaghetti apparently. It's a pretty thing that likes sun and moisture, and hence is loosing habitat to development and noxious weeds, so is becoming less and less common in the wild. Plus there is some indication that some of the populations were in effect farmed or managed by native tribes to keep the natural beds clear of trees and other competition. Difficult to find, not necessarily easy to grow, but might be really cool mixed with the strawbs if you are into that kind of thing.

Edited by greenmann - Nov-18-2009 at 11:36am