'Zombie weed' taking over growth in some areas of Regina: resident

CTV Regina: Weeds take over Regina neighbourhoods Watch: Regina residents battle the creeping bellflower. Cole Davenport reports.

It’s a purple-flowered weed that spreads quickly, is tough to remove, and is annoying to those like Terry White who like keeping their lawns in tip-top shape.

The easement behind White’s home in Regina has become overgrown with a weed known as “Creeping Bellflower”.

The plant can spread quickly and take over any space it’s given and the plants deep root system can make removing it a real pain.

“It’s a noxious weed, it’s kind of like a zombie weed that it not only propagates by seeds but if you tear up the weed or pull up the weed what’s left underground will spread and send up shoots,” White said.

The easement is owned by the city, which doesn’t have a program in place for the weed, so it’s up to White to make sure the spread ends at his fence.

“I have informed the city about it, they have come out and inspected it, what they’re going to do I don’t know,” White said.

The plant is a nuisance to some but others like having it around because of its purple flowers and don’t feel as much need to stop it in its tracks.

“Depends on what you want,” said Tim Van Duyvendyk, the owner and operator of Dutch Growers Home and Garden. “You can let it take over or you can try to spray it and control it.”

But if Creeping Bellflowers show up on your lawn or garden and you’re not a fan, the most effective options for getting rid of it involve the use of chemical herbicides or turning some serious dirt.

“You can try digging it out by hand but because it has such an extensive root system essentially you’re digging up the whole entire area,” Van Duyvendyk told CTV News.

White would prefer to see it controlled as he says it’s starting to spread around to lawns.

“Looks nice, doesn’t mean it is nice,” White said. “I know it’s a noxious weed, my neighbours now have it in their front garden so it is propagating out of the easement.”

White adds some Alberta cities have held contests for who can pull out the largest chunk of root from a Creeping Bellflower, and he hopes Regina won’t get to that point any time soon.