A Rudbeckia Thief?

[NJCher]

1. scapes/shoots?

I've been gardening for four decades and have never seen anything like that. I grow a lot of black-eyed Susan, too, and also in clay soil.

Well, once I did see a plant removal like what you describe, but it was a human taking the plant.

You say the roots had settled in and were sending off "scapes." Is that the same as shoots? And if so, I gather no root material at all was left in the soil.


Cher