Is it safe to use a product like RoundUp to get rid of invasive plants such as Yellow archangel in my yard? What do you suggest?
Do you have a large area covered with Lamium galeobdolon (Yellow archangel, formerly known as Lamiastrum)? I successfully eradicated this plant from my garden by hand-pulling persistently over a few months. This method is certainly safer than using herbicide, but if you have a vast area to tend, it may be harder to achieve. King County Noxious Weed Control has factsheets on this plant which mention various methods of control, including chemical. Because we are librarians and not licensed pesticide handlers, by law we can’t actually recommend use of a particular pesticide. Note that the information linked here does say that RoundUp (glyphosate) isn’t as effective as some other products. You may also want to take into account the costs of using pesticides in a home garden (where they may affect other non-target plants as well as wildlife, pets, and human inhabitants) against the perceived benefits (perhaps faster and easier than manual control).
The following information about eradicating Lamium galeobdolon is from the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board:
“Response to Mechanical Methods: Viny plants are easily pulled out by hand during the fall through early spring; however, great care must be taken to remove all parts of plant, as rooted fragments will regenerate (Graham, 2003). It should be noted that L. galeobdolon is highly susceptible to trampling (Packham, 1983).”
If your question is about the safety of glyphosate (RoundUp active ingredient), you may want to read the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides page about it.