"Growing from a bulb" pretty much eliminates Creeping Charlie, Common Mallow, or the Violet, although sometimes a rhizome might look kind of a littler bit like a bulb.

Where in the world are you? That could help narrow the plant down.

kimmq is kimmsr

They are Violets.

They are not growing from bulbs, just gnarly rhizomatous roots.

Thanks! I live in New York zone 7b. I believe they are violets as well. Not as bad as creeping charlie, but annoying nonetheless. They seem to propagate extremely well as little pieces of rhizome get accidentally dispersed.

Last summer, I was able to rid half of them by putting down black plastic. But I don't want to go another year without a backyard lawn. So I'm heading toward chemicals for the first time with Ortho Weed-B-Gone with crabgrass control.

I know many people that have sprayed several gallons of 2,4,D with Dicambra, and other plant poisons and still have those violets growing in the lawn, although the leaf edges are tinged a bit browner. Because of the waxy coating on the leaves of this plant they shed almost every "weed killer" there is before it can cause harm to the plant. Every site I find about removing Violets, "viola spp", recommends digging them up rather than spraying.

kimmq is kimmsr