Seasonal Wild Flowers

Ground Elder

Aegopodium podagraria

Apiaceae

Goutweed, Bishop's Weed and Herb Gerard

Late May to August

It is found throughout the country.

See the BSBI distribution map for Ground Elder

It is an archaeophyte which has been grown in theUK since

Roman times.

It grows in cleared (disturbed) ground, waste ground,

hedgerows and by paths and roads, often near habitation.

Ground Elder is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing

up to 1m, sometimes in large patches.

Flowers are in umbels up to 6cm across.

Individual flowers are white, 1mm across, with 5 cleft

petals, 5 stamens and 2 curved styles.

Fruits are flattened and egg shaped.

Leaves are up to 20cm long with broad, trefoil, toothed

leaflets.

Ground Elder is a persistent and aggressive weed.

Ground Elder patch

Ground Elder umbel

Flowers in a secondary umbel

Young fruits

Leaves