Aegopodium

Aegopodium
Aegopodium podagraria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Apiales
Family:	Apiaceae
Genus:	Aegopodium L.
Type species
Aegopodium podagraria L.
Species
Aegopodium alpestre Aegopodium handelii Aegopodium henryi Aegopodium kashmiricum Aegopodium latifolium Aegopodium podagraria Aegopodium tadshikorum

Aegopodium is a genus of flowering plants of the family Apiaceae, represented by about 7 species. The most well-known member is the Aegopodium podagraria, the ground elder also known as snow-on-the-mountain, Bishop's weed, goutweed.

Aegopodium podagraria is native to Europe and Asia. It is variegated green and white that sometimes reverts to solid green within a patch. Small, white, five-petal flowers are held about three feet high, above the leaves, in flat topped clusters. Underground are long white branching rhizomes that vaguely resemble quackgrass.

Regarded as an ecological threat, goutweed is aggressive, invasive and forms dense patches reducing species diversity in the ground layer. On the other hand, because of this, it is often used as a low maintenance ground cover.

See also

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/invasivetutorial/Goutweed.htm