How to Eradicate Mexican Petunias
The Mexican petunia, also known as Britton's wild petunia, is a hardy plant native to Mexico that is grown for its floppy, purple flowers that resemble petunias. Though many gardeners cherish their low maintenance Mexican petunias, many others are aggravated by the plant's tendency to aggressively take over the yard. Florida lists Mexican petunias as an invasive plant, one that threatens native flora. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Use your spade to dig up the entire Mexican petunia plant, along with as much of the root system as you can manage.
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2
Clip new sprouts with your garden shears. Make a clean cut at the base of the sprout.
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3
Pour liquid glyphosate, an herbicide that kills both weeds and perennials, over the sprouts that you have just clipped. You can also use an eyedropper for better control.
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4
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the plant is completely removed from your garden.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't mind finishing up the year with Mexican petunias in your yard, clipping flowers before they have a chance to develop seeds may keep the plants from spreading the following year.
Use glyphosate sparingly and follow the directions. Glyphosate is a powerful herbicide and can affect your other plants if you aren't careful. You can attempt to attack the plant before you dig it up by painting, not spraying, the plants individually in order to weaken them.
