What is it and how do I kill it?

[Ken_CT]

This is a picture of a vine that is growing in my wife's flowerbed. It is winding around the flowers, is a real pain to pull up, and is spreading rapidly. I would like to use some kind of herbicide on it, but if I damage the flowers my wife will use a "kennycide" on me.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[LarryRB]

We have tons of that stuff around . CT is loaded with "vinca or spelled vinka" vine. We also have a bumper crop of russian olive and poison ivy

 

[jbrumberg]

Ken:

I started seeing those vines in my garden last year and this year there were even more vines until I dug them all out by hand. It appeared that the "spread" was possibly related to breaking up the vines and spreading the vine segments by tilling.

Larry:

Thank you for the "ID". I have not been afflicted by the increase in russian olives and/or poison ivy yet. I wonder if some of the loss of native fauna and flora and spread of invasive species is related to global warming ? Jay

 

[scott_vt]

This is a picture of a vine that is growing in my wife's flowerbed. It is winding around the flowers, is a real pain to pull up, and is spreading rapidly. I would like to use some kind of herbicide on it, but if I damage the flowers my wife will use a "kennycide" on me.

Thanks,
Ken

Mornin Ken,
At my Ct home I am having the same problem ! I have a spot out in the front lawn that I have perenials planted and those vines are causing me fits. I was out there last night pulling them out by hand as best I could without pulling out all my flowers ! Cant use roundup obviously, its just gonna be a pain to keep them from spreading ! They also have found the page fence around my inground pool to be very condusive to their liking ! But the good news there is that I can spray them in that location ! I guess I will just have to go out every week and keep them in check !

 

[Dozernut]

Just wondering why you could not put a little Round-Up in a can and use a small paint brush and lightly "paint" the leaves of the invasive species. This would kill the root stock and not bother the plants you want to keep.

 

[Ken_CT]

Thanks for the info. My wife doesn't think its a Vinca vine as the leaves are larger and the stem or vine part has prickers on it, plus there are no blue flowers. It travels underground so when you pull it out you don't get the root, it trails and snaps off. The prickers make it neccesary to wear gloves when pulling it up. I'm going to try dozernut's idea and paint Roundup on the leaves. I'll keep you posted as to the results. If you never hear from me again it means I killed the flowers . Good thing she doesn't know how to use the backhoe .

 

[N80]

I'm pretty sure that vine is smilax. I just pull it up.....constantly.

 

[Podunkadunk]

This is a picture of a vine that is growing in my wife's flowerbed. It is winding around the flowers, is a real pain to pull up, and is spreading rapidly. I would like to use some kind of herbicide on it, but if I damage the flowers my wife will use a "kennycide" on me.

Thanks,
Ken

Ken,
I'm really just posting for the sake of posting, because everything has been covered, but wanted to share that you are not alone with this stuff! I just can't believe that it's that far north. It seems to like it when it's hot and humid (not saying it doesn't get hot/humid up there). I have that stuff all over the woods around me, and believe me, I am in the boonies (thus....podunkadunk).

Anyhow, I don't have a clue what it is, but I can tell you I have machette'd it, weed whacked it, pulled it up and ROUNDUP is fertilizer to it (or so it seems...no effect).

Of all the above methods I've tried, only pulling it up seemed to slow it down. I say "slowed it down" because it came back with a vengeance. It seems that they have very long root systems and like crabgrass, if you don't get it all, well...you know the rest.

Good luck and if you find something that kills it (and it doesn't come back in a month) re-post what you used.

Podunk

 

[Ken_CT]

With the help of TBN I got enough info to search around a bit & emailed w/pic to a site http://www.brisrain.webcentral.com.au/01_cms/details_pop.asp?ID=189 which had some good info. I got a couple of replies right away from them. It looks like it is Smilax glauca Walt. , common name of cat greenbrier.
Symbol: SMGL
Group: Monocot
Family: Smilacaceae
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub
Vine
U.S. Nativity: Native
They said to cut it back as far as possible & paint on a herbicide, eg Glyphosate which is Roundup.

Thanks everybody, TBN is an incredible place for info.
Ken