Ground Elder
Perennial & invasive weed
Ground elder is among the most persistent weeds in British borders and allotments. It can overwhelm established plants by spreading underground and producing a dense canopy of leaves. Once it enters a bed, hurried digging often makes matters worse. Success comes from patient, repeated removal or from excluding light for a full growing season.
How to identify it
Leaves are divided into three leaflets, each sharply toothed and often further divided, giving the plant a fresh green, angular appearance. Upright stems usually reach 30-100 cm and may carry flat clusters of small white flowers in early summer. Its defining feature is a network of brittle white underground rhizomes, often just below the surface. Every fragment with a growing point can produce new shoots, forming wide, interconnected colonies.
Where it grows
Ground elder is widespread in UK gardens, particularly old borders, shady corners, hedge lines, beneath shrubs and along fences where cultivation is difficult. Shoots appear in spring, expand rapidly in late spring and summer, and persist until autumn. It spreads readily from neighbouring ground or in soil and plant divisions containing hidden rhizomes.
Why it is a problem
Its fast-growing foliage shades and smothers border plants, while rhizomes invade among roots where they are difficult to separate. Turning over an infested bed can distribute small fragments and create more plants. A patch can keep returning for years, making it especially troublesome in densely planted, established borders.
How to control it
Dig out ground elder obsessively, using a fork to loosen soil and hand-pick every visible white rhizome rather than chopping through it with a spade. Repeat this whenever shoots reappear, as no scrap should remain. Where clearing is possible, cover the area with a thick, securely weighted light-excluding cover for a full growing season. Do not move contaminated soil or divide plants from infested beds until rhizomes have been removed.
Commonly confused with
Ground elder is sometimes confused with young elder, cow parsley or other members of the carrot family. It has three groups of toothed leaflets and white rhizomes underground. Cow parsley is more feathery, while elder is a woody shrub rather than a spreading herb.
Ground Elder: frequently asked questions
How do I identify ground elder?
Leaves are divided into three leaflets, each sharply toothed and often further divided, giving the plant a fresh green, angular appearance.
How do I get rid of ground elder?
Dig out ground elder obsessively, using a fork to loosen soil and hand-pick every visible white rhizome rather than chopping through it with a spade.
Where does ground elder grow?
Ground elder is widespread in UK gardens, particularly old borders, shady corners, hedge lines, beneath shrubs and along fences where cultivation is difficult.
General guidance for UK gardens and allotments, focused on prevention and non-chemical control. For a confirmed identification, the RHS or a local garden centre can help. Page updated 19 Sep 2026.