Herbaceous Vines
Herbaceous vines may be annuals or perennials that grow many feet each year. Stems will remain green and flexible (not woody). Species may be differentiated based on leaf size, shape, and arrangement; stem hairs or prickles and direction of twining; flower size, color, and shape; and presence of other reproductive structures.
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Resource Table
| Classification | Common Name | Other Common Names | Scientific Name | Other Scientific Names | Resources | Videos | Weed ID slides ppt (AGR 375) | National Distribution Map | Look-Alike Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibited/Restricted | Black swallow-wort | Louise's swallow-wort | Vincetoxicum nigrum | Cynanchum louiseae | UWEX Factsheet Link | Video | Vincetoxicum spp | National Map | |
| Prohibited | Chinese yam | Indian Yam | Dioscorea polystachya | Link | Dioscorea polystachya | National Map | |||
| Prohibited | Pale swallow-wort | European swallow-wort | Vincetoxicum rossicum | Link | Vincetoxicum spp | National Map | |||
| Not Regulated | Goldencreeper | red hailstone | Thladiantha dubia | Link | Video | Thladiantha dubia | National Map | ||
| Prohibited/Restricted | Japanese hop | Humulus japonicus | UWEX Factsheet Link | Video | Humulus japonicus | National Map | |||
| Not Regulated | Periwinkle | Vinca minor | Link | Vinca minor | National Map | ||||
| Prohibited | Mile-a-minute vine | Persicaria perfoliata | Polygonum perfoliatum | Factsheet Link | Persicaria perfoliata | National Map |
Species Summary Table
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Stem | Leaves | Flowers | Fruit/Seed | Leaf Division | Flower Color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dioscorea polystachya | Chinese yam | Twines counterclockwise; aerial bulbils | Generally opposite, may be alternate in upper nodes; spear to oval or heart shaped with sharp tip; 7-9 parallel veins | Greenish white flowers on spikes in leaf axils; cinnamon fragrance; June – Sept. | Aerial bulbils in leaf axils June – Sept.; also produces winged fruits | Simple | Whitish green |
| Humulus japonica | Japanese hop | Covered with short hairs + longer, stiff, downward- pointing hairs | Opposite, 1-6” long, 5-7+ lobes, sharply toothed + finely hairy around edges; July – Aug. | Dioecious. F flowers in short, cone-like spikes, ~3/4” long; M flowers in clusters of 20 – 100+ | Flower bracts enlarge to form “cone” up to 1” long | Simple, lobed | Green |
| Persicaria perfoliata | Mile-a-minute vine | Delicate reddish stems covered in barbs | Equilateral triangle-shaped, alternate, 1-3”, light green; cup- shaped leaves at intervals on stem | Appear in cup-shaped leaves; white, inconspicuous | Segmented, metallic blue, pea-sized fruits; one seed per segment | Simple | Green |
| Thladiantha dubia | Goldencreeper / tubergourd | Light green, weakly angled; covered in mix of long straight + short hooked hairs | Alternate, heart-shaped, 2-6” long, 1 ½-4” wide; tiny teeth; long unbranched hairy tendril opposite a leaf | Dioecious; all flowers 1” yellow, bell-shaped with 5 lobes curved back; June – Sept. | Berry-like, 2” oval shaped, hairy green to red rind; also produces underground tubers | Simple | Yellow |
| Vincetoxicum nigrum | Black swallow- wort | Multiple-stemmed, unbranched, small hairs | Opposite, smooth, oval shaped, pointed tips; dark green, shiny; 2-5” long | Branched clusters of 6-10 dark purple ¼” flowers, 5 triangular petals, pale yellow center; June – July | Slender pod, 2-3” long holds many brown seeds with tufts of white hair; similar to milkweed | Simple | Dark purple to blackish |
| Vinca minor | Periwinkle | Stems green, woody near the base, smooth, rooting at the nodes | Opposite, smooth, evergreen, lance-shaped, dark green; 1/2 to 2" long, sap is milky | Bluish, tubular flowers with 5 petals, borne singly in the leaf axils; May-June | Slender pod with brown seeds; rarely produced | Simple | Purple to blue |
| Vincetoxicum rossicum | Pale swallow-wort | Multiple-stemmed, unbranched, small hairs | Opposite, smooth, oval shaped, pointed tips; dark green, shiny; 2-5” long | Branched clusters of 6-10 maroon to pale pink ¼” flowers, 5 petals twice as long as wide; June – July | Slender pod, 2-3” long holds many brown seeds with tufts of white hair; similar to milkweed | Simple | Coral to pale purple |