Butterfly Bush Removal

Question

I planted one bush a couple of years ago not knowing how invasive they were and now have 20 ft. of bushes. Not knowing this, I now want to remove them but can’t get them dug out of the gravel they are growing in. How can I kill these so they won’t come back? They are in a very bad spot on my landscaping.

Answer 1

Don’t kill them. Offer them to people who would like one (and warn them about “invasive.”) Google “Freecycle Network,” find the one in your area, and then offer your bushes to those who want them. People will do the work themselves, since they’re free. And, once you get back to the space you wanted it in the first place, contain it. Stick it in a good size container or surround it with metal siding, so it can’t creep away. Then, if you live so far south that it pruduces new ones by seeds, do what you have to do to keep plants contained – treat babies like weeds, and pull them out as you find them.