Welcome to the club. I think this is year 4 of trying to eradicate it- it was all over again this spring. I keep thinking that the seed bank of VB in my soil has to run out soon. (but unfortunately it wasn't this year)

other problems for me
nigella
Laura Bush petunia
larkspur
rud hirta
melampodium
nasturtium

I think I could grow a few of any of these, but just a very few.

Karen

Isn't it funny how different each of our experiences is depending on location. I've been raving about all my wonderful volunteer seedlings from many of my native butterfly plants due to our wet spring. However, I direct sowed a bunch of Larkspur seeds in various spots around the garden and I think I've seen two sprouts. I did better last year without even trying. Maybe they're not up yet in my zone. We'll see.

Martha

Karen you forgot coreopsis tinctoria, or what I call tickseed!! YIKESSSSSSSSSSS

You know I found 2 seedlings in another pot on my porch again this year!! Thank goodness that was at least a plastic pot!! I still have a great amount of seedlings pop up in this one bed and in the bermuda around it!!

And don't plant queen's anne lace, OMW!! Finches do love it though!!

I must be more wary and skeptical than others because I shy away from anything if even one person reports it as a "vigorous reseeder" for exactly the reasons you state. Between them, my mother and the guy who used to live next door introduced plenty of invasives like burning bush, star of Bethlehem, ajuga, violets, lily-of-the-valley, etc. years ago. Now I rip them out whenever I get the chance and I certainly avoid others with similar unpleasant reputations. I WS bachelor buttons last year assuming it was the perennial kind and was happy to see only one or two reseeds once I realized it was so prolific.

A few folks in neighboring states have reported buddleia/butterfly bush is invasive where they are but it isn't here so I have a few in each garden bed. After 5 years, not a one has reseeded. The folks on this forum would hunt me down and skin me alive if I complained about my amazing soil...so I won't, but suffice it to say, if things were going to get out of control, this is the place to do it. Since the only things that have overtaken areas of the garden are hydrangeas, I'm not complaining yet.

Up here in my aerie, Laura Bush petunia is a big culprit - first sowed it back in 2008, and I've been pulling seedlings ever since. Also centratherum intermedium - Brazilian bachelor's button - seedlings everywhere from one plant in 2009. There's a bunch of other stuff coming up in the pots too, but I have no idea what they are. I'm thinking they are amaranthus,but they're probably weeds. Pulled up a ton of them, and potted up three so I could see what they are.

Then there are the dandelions that are all over the place, plus a couple of small trees that the birds probably brought in.

PV

Wow--the seed life is something I hadn't considered. Karen, do you let some of the VBs flower, or do you try to eradicate all seedlings now?

I am excited about the catchfly, flaxes, and snappies, since there are not too many of them. I even have one nastie seed that survived the winter. Hoo-eee!

But the VB and nigella, oi. I also have lots of borage seedlings. I don't have as many corn flower/bachelor buttons as last year, and my Irish Eyes rudebeckia has reseeded but not in the thickets that the VB and nigella have.

It is sort of hard to weed because I hate to get rid of these plant babies, but there are just so many. Weeding has a whole new meaning. :) And this from a woman who has a yard of grass, clover, violets, and dandelions. :)

cheers,
Norabelle

No, norabelle, I don't leave any VB I find. As soon as I see it, I yank it by the roots.

I didn't mean nasturtium in my post above- I meant nicotiana. GW really needs a way to edit past posts.

Other problems for me- digitalis and columbine. I keep a few. I just deadheaded those, came in for a break in the a/c. It's only 10:30 a.m. and already 83 degrees with a heat index of 86. High today 92. And humid! Also just had a truck load of soil dumped in my side yard. My husband thinks we're going to shovel and haul that around tonight. Not! At least, not me! Too freaking hot!

Martha, have you tried direct sowing larkspur in late summer/early fall? They'll sprout in fall and overwinter in the garden, don't mid sub-zero temps. That was Vera's tip and worked great for me. Too well, in fact.

Karen

Nigella reseeds for me, and
I did have one red nasturtium pop up this year.

Tomatos are the thing for me, if you want to call it that. They just pop up everywhere.

I DS'd TONS of larkspur in late summer early fall and early spring. I don't think I have one. :(

Are the VBs coming back from pieces of roots?

Norabelle - I read some magazine article recently that talked about the fact that seeds are somehow genetically programmed so that all of them do not sprout the following year. Apparently they are "programmed" to somehow bloom over a multi year cycle (I seem to remember 7 years.) The reeasoning had to do with survival of the species - if all seeds bloomed the following year, and then there was a drought/flood/predators/blight/etc. - the species would be wiped out. But if a bunch of seeds were lurking in the soil, the species could recover. Kinda makes sense. But doesn't help when you are trying to eradicate vigorous reseeders from your garden!

Seven years...any more good news for these garden folk?! Seven was the Biblical number for completion, so I hope you all have completed the warfare after year seven!!

I have images of me as Lawrence Fishburne/Morpheus from The Matrix--I get into fight stance and gesture to the genetically programmed VB seeds as if to say, "Come to fight!"

If it is a seven year battle, I will keep my garden gloves handy and Advil at the ready for my knees. :)

cheers,
Norabelle