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Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

FACT SHEET: GOUTWEED

Goutweed 

Aegopodium podagraria L. 

Carrot family (Apiaceae, formerly Umbelliferae) 

NATIVE RANGE 

Most of Europe and northern Asia, to eastern Siberia 

DESCRIPTION 

Goutweed, also known as bishop's-weed and snow-on-the-mountain, is an 

herbaceous perennial plant. It is one of several species of Aegopodium, 

native to Europe and Asia. Most leaves are basal, with the leafstalk attached 

to an underground stem, or rhizome. The leaves are divided into three groups 

of three leaflets, making it "triternate." The leaflets are toothed and 

sometimes irregularly lobed. Foliage of the "wild" type is medium green in 

color; a commonly planted variegated form has bluish-green leaves with 

creamy white edges. Sometimes reversion back to solid green or a mixture of 

solid green and the lighter variegated pattern occurs within a patch. 

Small, white, five-petaled flowers are produced in mid-summer. Flowers are 

arranged in flat-topped clusters (called compound umbels) and are held 

above the ground on a leafy stem up to about 3 feet tall. The seeds are small 

and elongate, similar in size and shape to carrot seeds, and ripen in late 

summer. In contrast to the dense foliage cover produced by goutweed, 

flowering shoots are uncommon in densely shaded areas. 

The rhizomes of goutweed are long, white, and branching, superficially resembling those of quackgrass (Elytrigia repens, 

also known as Agropyron repens). Patches of goutweed typically form a dense canopy and can exclude most other 

herbaceous vegetation. Because of this, it is often used as a low-maintenance ground cover. 

ECOLOGICAL THREAT 

Goutweed is an aggressive invasive plant that forms dense patches, displaces native species, and greatly reduces 

species diversity in the ground layer. Goutweed patches inhibit the establishment of conifers and other native tree species 

as well. 

DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES

Goutweed is currently known to occur in twenty-nine states in the mid-Atlantic, 

Northeast and Northwest (USDA PLANTS) and is reported to be invasive in 

natural areas in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, 

and Wisconsin (WeedUS Database). 

HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES 

Goutweed is an ecologically versatile species. It is found in old gardens and 

flowerbeds, around shrubs and other plantings, and in a variety of other 

disturbed habitats such as felled forests, abandoned fields, and pastures. In 

Eurasia, goutweed is primarily a species of deciduous and southern boreal 

forests, and it expands aggressively in similar habitats in North America. Goutweed appears to do best on moist soil and 

in light to moderate shade, but is highly shade-tolerant and capable of invading closed-canopy forests. 

BACKGROUND 

Goutweed was apparently first brought to North America as an ornamental during the early stages of European settlement 

and was well established in the U.S. by 1863. In parts of Russia, the leaves are sometimes used as a salad ingredient 

and potherb in the spring. 
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Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

BIOLOGY & SPREAD 

Goutweed is vigorous, rhizomatous perennial that spreads 

mainly by vegetative means. Patches increase in size through 

extension of the rhizome system. The flowers are pollinated by a 

wide variety of insects, including beetles, bees, and especially 

small flies. The seeds have no apparent morphological features 

that would facilitate dispersal. Goutweed seeds require cold 

stratification to germinate. While established goutweed plants 

are highly competitive in shaded environments, seedlings 

generally need recently disturbed soil and rather bright light in 

order to survive. Goutweed apparently does not form a longlived seed bank, and the seeds generally germinate the year 

after ripening. Establishment of goutweed seedlings in the shade 

is rare. The primary vector for dispersal to new areas is humans. 

Most goutweed colonies spread to neighboring natural areas 

from intentional plantings, or by the dumping of yard waste that 

includes discarded rhizomes. 

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS 

A variety of methods are available for controlling goutweed, depending on the extent of the infestation and the amount of 

time and labor available. Regardless of the control method used, the patch should be carefully monitored periodically for a 

few years. New shoots should be dug up and destroyed. Once goutweed control has been achieved, revegetation with 

native or non-invasive exotic plant materials is recommended. This is particularly important on sites where erosion is a 

concern or where other invasive species are likely to colonize the site if left alone. 

Biological

There are no biological control organisms currently available for Aegopodium podograria in North America. 

Chemical 

Systemic herbicides such as glyphosate (Roundup®) that are translocated to the roots and kill the entire plant are most 

effective for goutweed control. However, glyphosate is non-specific and can damage or kill desirable native plants that are 

accidentally sprayed in the course of treating the goutweed. Contact herbicides are usually ineffective because goutweed 

readily leafs out again after defoliation. 

Manual 

Small patches of goutweed can be eliminated by careful and persistent hand-pulling or digging up of entire plants along 

with underground stems (rhizomes). Pulled plants can be piled up and allowed to dry for a few days before bagging and 

disposing of them. Be careful to pick up all rhizomes which, if left behind, can reroot and sprout new plants. For large 

patches, a team of volunteers or use of herbicide is recommended. 

Mechanical 

Where appropriate, frequent short mowing may control or slow the spread of goutweed in lawns, along roadsides, and 

other areas. 

Physical

Preventing goutweed from photosynthesizing in early spring (at the time of leaf-out) can control the plant by depleting its 

carbohydrate reserves. This can be accomplished by covering the patch with black plastic sheeting when the leaves start 

to emerge from the ground in the spring, and leaving it in place through the summer. A more effective option is to cut all 

plants once they've fully leafed out, using a mower, scythe, or weed-whacker type machine, and then cover the area with 

plastic. Covering the plants in mid- or late summer, after they have regained substantial starch reserves, is probably much 

less effective. 

USE PESTICIDES WISELY: Always read the entire pesticide label carefully, follow all mixing and application instructions and wear all 

recommended personal protective gear and clothing. Contact your state department of agriculture for any additional pesticide use 

requirements, restrictions or recommendations. 

NOTICE: mention of pesticide products on this page does not constitute endorsement of any material.
20 May 2005 Page 3 of 4 

Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

CONTACTS 

For more information on the management of goutweed, please contact: 

• Steve Garske, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, Odanah, WI (715-682-6619; steveg@glifwc.org) 

• David Schimpf, Department of Biology, University of Minnesota - Duluth, Duluth, MN (218-726-7265; 

dschimpf@d.umn.edu) 

SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE PLANTS 

Contact your local native plant society for other species suitable for your area (http://www.nps.gov/plants). 

OTHER LINKS 

• http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/icat/browse.do?specieId=34

AUTHORS

Steve Garske, Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, Odanah, WI 

David Schimpf, Department of Biology, University of Minnesota - Duluth, Duluth, MN 

REVIEWER

Wayne Owen, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Washington, DC 

EDITOR 

Jil M. Swearingen, National Park Service, National Capital Region, Center for Urban Ecology, Washington, DC 

PHOTOGRAPHS 

David Schimpf, Department of Biology, University of Minnesota - Duluth, Duluth, MN 

Invasive Plant Atlas of New England 

REFERENCES 

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Apiaceae: bouquets for different pollinators? Phytochemistry (Oxford) 35: 111-118. 

Dlussky, G. M. 1998. Mechanisms of competition for pollinators in Anthriscus sylvestris Hoffm. and Aegopodium 

podagraria L. (Apiaceae). Zhurnal Obshchei Biologii 59: 24-44. 

Everett, T. H. 1981. The New York Botanical Garden illustrated encyclopedia of horticulture. Vol. 1. A-Be. Garland 

Publishing Inc., New York. 

Gatsuk, L. E., O. V. Smirnova, L. I. Vorontzova, L. B. Zaugolnova, and L. A. Zhukova. 1980. Age states of plants of 

various growth forms: a review. Journal of Ecology 68: 675-696. 

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Grime, J. P., J. G. Hodges, and R. Hunt. 1988. Comparative plant ecology. Unwin Hyman, London. 

Jansson, O. 1974. Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) levels in leaves of plant species differing in susceptibility to 2,4-

dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Physiologia Plantarum 31: 323-325. 

Meyer, K., and F. H. Hellwig. 1997. Annual cycle of starch content in rhizomes of the forest geophytes Anemone 

nemorosa and Aegopodium podagraria. Flora (Jena) 192: 335-339. 

Shishkin, B. K. (ed.). 1950. Flora of the USSR. Volume XVI-Umbelliflorae. Botanical Institute of the Academy of Sciences 

of the USSR. (Translated from Russian by Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem, 1973.) 
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Plant Conservation Alliance®s Alien Plant Working Group 

Xeeds HoneXild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/

Small, E. 1973. Photosynthetic ecology of normal and variegated Aegopodium podagraria. Canadian Journal of Botany 

51: 1589-1592. 

Swearingen, J. 2009. WeedUS Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States: Goutweed (Aegopodium 

podagraria). http://www.invasive.org/weedus/subject.html?sub=11534 

Tutin, T. G., V. H. Heywood, N. A. Burges, D. M. Moore, D. H. Valentine, S. M. Walker, and D. A. Webb (eds.) 1968. Flora 

Europaea, Vol. 2. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 

USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 

70874-4490 USA.