Ground-elder
Ground-elder - a weed you can eat
The ground-elder (Aegopodium podagraria) is regarded as one of the worst weeds. It belongs to the carrot family and spreads eerily fast over large ground areas by underground rhizomes, particular in shady places.
The smallest piece of rhizome left in the ground will quickly develop into a strong new plant – and one plant is followed by many more. If one ground-elder finds its way into your decorative perennial flower bed it will in no time have invaded the whole thing. Do not hesitate to cut off its head as soon as it peeps out.
Ground-elder creeping out from under the wood-pile
Other names for this aggressive weed are snow-in-the-mountain, bishop's weed, and goutweed (monks used to treat gout and arthritis with it).
Eat your enemy - There is only one good thing to be said about ground-elder. The tender green leaves are edible and can be used much like spinach or in a salad. Therefore you can do like Hannibal Lecter and simply eat this extremely rude and invasive species.
The flower of the ground-elder - cut it off
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