Ampelygonum perfoliatum (L.) Roberty & Vautier
Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross
Polygonum perfoliatum L. Asiatic tearthumb, devil’s tail, mile-a-minute vine, mile-a-minute weed, mile-a-minute knotweed,
This Asian vine, introduced to North America in the 1930s, is spreading rapidly, and considered a serious invasive threat. Identification: I first encountered this vine on a rainy afternoon at my sister's home in Phoenix, MD. It had engulfed nearly everything else, except for tall black walnut trees, in the wooded area behind her yard. It grows up to six inches per day, and is as effective as oriental bittersweet or kudzu at overwhelming and killing native plants. Mile-a-minute vine has leaves that are almost perfect triangles, small curved barbs along its stems, and saucer-shaped leaves (ocreas) at its stem nodes. It develops tightly packed clusters of 10-30 lobed blue fruits, each about ⅛-¼″ (3.2-6.3 mm) around. Online References:
The Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project (or download this PDF) The Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group Least Wanted List The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (PDF) Ampelygonum perfoliatum (L.) Roberty & Vautier Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross
Polygonum perfoliatum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 29 Jul 2023. |
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