Q What is this plant? It is all over my yard. The root system is wicked. How do I get rid of it?
A It is Ampelopsis arborea, commonly called pepper vine. It is a tenacious perennial weed with a strong taproot. It is about to bloom. Then it will set hundreds of berries that the birds eat and drop seeds and it keeps spreading. It can root where it touches the ground and come up from seed. Pull it up from the root, when you can see where it is coming up. Spot sprays of Roundup can help. It will take more than one season to even think about eradicating it.
Q I am thinking of trying to espalier one of the newer smaller varieties of vitex. I am replacing the nectarine and pluot that I have had on the trellis for several years (tired of fighting brown rot) and thought it or one of the "black leaves" crape myrtles might be interesting and give me a summer-blooming plant. Any thoughts or recommendations? I built the trellis years ago as an alternative to a fence across my front yard as privacy from the street. I plan to rebuild it this summer and construct from cedar posts I cut from my cabin property with limbs serving as the horizontal trellis structure.
A Many plants can be espaliered, and vitex is no exception, however, it does tend to sucker a lot, which will make your job more interesting. The black leaf crapes are beautiful, but smaller and slow-growing. What about trying one of the panicle hydrangeas? There are some stunning new varieties which are quite vigorous and would not have winter damage. I think a pomegranate might also be interesting.
Q Could you please tell me what plant this is and what is causing the leaves to change like this? What can I do to treat this?
A The plant is red top photinia, and the problem is entomosporium leaf spot. This disease has been plaguing this hedge shrub for years now. Eventually, it can kill the plant or make it so ugly you will want to pull it. There are some sprays that can help, but it will require a yearly spray schedule, which I don't think is worth the effort. I would replace them with something tougher.
Q Please help me identify the little clumps of grass/sedge pictured here that popped up in my flower beds with this week's rain. Each clump has short, slender blades growing from its center. What are some clues for distinguishing undesirable grasses from sedges, since one product or approach may not kill both?
A The weed in question is a nutsedge, or commonly called nutgrass. A good way to tell a sedge from a grass is the leaf blade. Rub your fingers along the stem where it goes into the soil, and you will see that a sedge is triangular in shape, while grasses are round or flatter. If you cut into the stem, blades of grass would be hollow, while sedge blades are solid. If you look at the picture you sent me, the sedges will also have their leaves coming up with a triangular shape. If you drew a line connecting the tips of each of the last three leaves you would have a triangle. Nutsedge is a perennial weed with a small nutlet or bulb-like structure underground. They are difficult to kill. If you can pull the new weeds up — roots and all — it will be easier to eradicate them than it would be later. But we do have a wealth of weeds right now.
Retired after 38 years with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Janet Carson ranks among Arkansas' best known horticulture experts. Her blog is at arkansasonline.com/planitjanet. Write to her at P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203 or email