Creeping bellflower is showing up more and more in Regina. So how do you get rid of it?
The invasive plant can overrun garden beds and vegetable gardens if not properly removed
An invasive plant known as the creeping bellflower has been popping up around Regina this summer.
The creeping bellflower has purple, flower-like sprouts and can grow up to one metre tall.
Daryl Sametz, the owner and manager of the Unique Garden Centre in Regina, said customers often come to him seeking advice for weeds. Bellflower has recently become a common complaint, joining the ranks of local weeds like chamomile, dandelion and milkweed.
"For so many years now we've had so much drought that a lot of the seeds haven't been germinating and now people are starting to see a number of weeds they aren't familiar with," Sametz said.
He said if invasive plants like creeping bellflower are not dealt with, they could overrun flower and vegetable gardens.
"It is very very aggressive in your gardens," Sametz said. "If you are using wildflower seed, try not to use the seed with the bellflower."
He said the only way you can really get rid of it is to "hoe it out," but he does suggest using appropriate herbicides.
"You need to be careful that a weed out will not harm grass," Sametz said. "So you want to be very careful when using a product such as weed out."
According to the City of Regina, the creeping bellflower is not listed as a weed by the Ministry of Agriculture so the city does not monitor reported cases of it.
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