Best spray to kill elephant ear and banana plants

1.) Till the soil about 12 inches at least 2 feet past when the ears are coming up

2.) Soak with gasoline

3.) Stir the soil

4.) Soak again

5.) Fluff the soil

6.) Light on fire

This is what worked for me when trying to get rid of both bananas and cannas after cutting them. When resprouting make a horizontal cut on the re-sprouts at near ground level and immediately “paint” the fresh cut with trichlopyr herbicide (8.8%). You can purchase that as “stump and vine killer”.

LINK

May have to repeat the process the rest of the summer to get them all, but I was really surprised at how well this worked.

I did dig out some of the bananas roots first but as you know you can’t get rid of them all. If you have a big area, might need to turn on the music and drink some cold ones while cutting and “painting” b/c it is a pain in the azz.

If you do have a bigger area and mega stumps to deal with you could try the more concentrated form of trichlopyr (61.6%) and spray it on freshly cut stumps and emerging leaves.

LINK

Follow label directions.

I had both on my current property when I bought it in 92. I got rid of them simply by cutting them to the ground and every time they started to show any signs of sprouting, I'd take a shovel and cut it back down to the ground.

If photosynthesis can't take place, the roots eventually die. This didn't happen overnight, but just keep removing any growth whenever it shows and they will eventually die.

I've been here since 92 and after that first year or so, no banana or elephant ears have grown in my yard.

Ha. I planted a few variegated “Martha Stewart” brand artemisia plants several years ago and man are they invasive!! Just finished scrapping flower beds with shovel for 3rd and hopefully final time. Didn’t want to put any chrmicals down to kill them as they have grown in my orchids and lilies and irises. Hot sunny day work!!