Invasives Watch

Cathy Caldwell

 

Due to its bright red and yellow fruits, Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is easy to spot in the autumn, and this is a good time to eradicate it. This vine is now referred to by some scientists as “round leaf bittersweet”.  If you’d like to watch a video about this invasive, check below.

Here are the control methods for Asiatic bittersweet suggested by Blue Ridge PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management):

“Manual & Mechanical: You can hand-pull small vines when the soil is moist, but be sure to remove the crown and all large roots, or vigorous new growth will occur. To avoid hurting tree branches and yourself, do not pull heavy vines from trees.

Cut Stump: Cut small to large vines near ground level,
using a hand-saw, loppers, hand clippers or chainsaw from
June through February (late summer and fall is ideal). To
prevent resprouting, immediately apply a concentrated herbicide to the cut stump or apply a foliar spray to the regrowth.

Foliar Spray: Low bushy vines or resprouted vines can be
killed with a foliar herbicide spray from late spring (after full
leafout) through fall. (It is best not to spray large vines, but to
cut stump them.) To avoid harming desirable plants, apply
foliar spray when other plants have fall color or are leafless in
autumn, but while bittersweet leaves are still green.”

For more information, see Fact Sheet: Asiatic Bittersweet/Blue Ridge PRISM, Virginia Invasive Plant ID & Control Tool/Asiatic Bittersweet and Invasive Plant Control Calendar, May 2022 issue of The Garden Shed.

 

 

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a rapidly spreading nonnative vine that competes for both above- and below-ground resources, inhibiting the growth of desirable trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers.  A woody perennial vine, Japanese honeysuckle retains its leaves well into winter (year-round in mild climates). Hand pulling young vines is effective only if all roots are removed.  Any roots left in the soil will resprout.  A foliar spray may be a more effective way to kill the entire plant. The best time to spray is autumn and early winter after most native plants have lost their leaves or are dormant, but before a hard freeze (25°F). Foliar sprays are less effective in spring because the herbicide does not thoroughly move from the leaves into the roots during spring growth.

For additional information on methods for eradicating Japanese Honeysuckle, refer to the Fact Sheet/Japanese Honeysuckle published by the Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). Also see the Invasive Plant Control Calendar in the May 2022 issue of The Garden Shed.

 

⇒To learn more about invasive plants and to join others in eradication efforts, check out these Upcoming Events sponsored by Blue Ridge PRISM: