get rid... or contain?

Does anybody know what this is please? Low growing ground cover (about 10cm), which has spread like mad. The second picture shows the roots which seem pretty well connected from one plant to the next. I don't know if it's going to flower later and whether I should keep a patch - or eradicate before it takes over completely!
Thanks for any suggestions that could help me with more google searching.

 

That looks suspiciously like the infamous ground elder. Eradicate it if you can.

 

Or eat it!

http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/F...t_Your_Way_to_Eradicating_a_Troublesome_Weed/

http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/ground-elder-tempeh-recipe

etc.

 

I would say it was ground elder.
You want to be rid of it - a very penicious weed.
I wouldn't waste my time trying to dig it out. Any little bit left in the ground - and there will be plenty - will regrow.
I would spray it with a systemic weedkiller - that will work - then wait and anything that regrows, spray again. That will take care of it.

 

ground elder

thanks everyone! I'm starting the affected border more or less from scratch anyway so think I'll clear it and just keep digging the stuff out for a while. When I get fed up with that I'll spray the remainder!
I've also seen that Mexican Marigold (Tagetes minuta) will supposedly deter ground elder, as well as bindweed (which is coming through from the tramtracks behind the back fence) - so I'll give that a go too.

 

Tried that, the ground elder choked it.

 

re the bind weed I don't know but I've been told...Allow a few adult leaves to grow and then have at them with a blow torch !! Heat the leaves until they start to change colour - not incinerating off !!! - apparently it starts some sort of self destruct mechanism off . I'm in the process of letting mine get big enough and its killing me letting them grow but I've heard this from a tristworthy source so I'm giving it a go . If only the same applied to your ground elder - I'm sorry : )

 

Wozwoz, must admit I`ve never heard of plants having a selfdestruct mechanism before, please keeps us informed as to your weed treatments` outcome.

 

Thanks for all the advice! I'd better get started on the war against the ground elder, I gather from some other threads that this could take a while.
*sigh* guess I'm not going to get onto the fun jobs any time soon. Another persistent weed to go along with the squillions of sycamore seedlings I have to pull out every day and the bindweed spreading from the tram tracks!

 

Perhaps a dumb question, after spraying (glysophate) how long should I leave it before digging it out? I don't want to act too soon and end up with lots of surviving root fragments. Sprayed on fri, leaves are starting to go brown, but how long before it knackers the roots properly for me? I realise it will still need another go later on but as shiney says, best to make as much progress as possible on the first round!