Goutweed,

bishop's weed,snow-on-the-mountain, ground elder -- whatever you call it Aegopodium podagraria can be bad news if it's running rampant in your yard.
Goutweed is incredibly aggressive, spreading by long white underground rhizomes as well as by seed. It is a nightmare to many homeowners who simply can't seem to get rid of it.
(the cute little white star flowers are not part of the goutweed. Those are Star of Bethlehem, a tiny spring-flowering bulb that some also consider invasive)


This groundcover has flattopped clustered 5-petal flowers in late spring. They ride high above the foliage and resemble Queen Anne's Lace.




I have this often-cursed groundcover in a few areas in my yard. I think the varigiated foliage is quite attractive.

In this shady area in the back of my deck it actually works quite well. It's been here about 10 years and as long as I diligently deadhead those flowers before they produce seed and dig out any creeping under the rocks each spring, I have been able to keep it under control.

I had it in another area on the side of my garage as a groundcover for a yew hedge. That area receives more sun and I found it too difficult to maintain.

The only way I could get rid of it was by using RoundUp. It took two summers of applying the RoundUp about every two weeks to every tiny little piece I spotted popping up. It is finally gone in that area.

This is probably a plant that the average suburban homeowner would not want.

Don't plant it unless you have a difficult area where nothing else will grow, you have room for it to spread and you don't mind giving it the attention it requires to keep it in line.