Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I found this vine thing in Gainseville, it forms big networks of thin to medium sized roots widely throughout the first few inches of soil. Where the stems and leaves come out, the stems form bulbs/tubers under the soil. It can form big networks on/under the ground and also climbs trees.
My aunt has a lot of it in her yard and wants to get rid of it. We were hand pulling the stems, bulbs, and root networks but it takes a long time. Is there a better way to remove it? Also, are there any plants and/or grasses that can fend it off once we clear the area? It seems to grow pretty invasively in areas without natural ground cover.
I'm not sure. If nobody answers, you can try your county extension office. You may be able to email them the pictures. Florida County Extension Offices
Don't know what it's called, but just buy a bottle of Roundup, the kind of bottle that will allow you to choose "spray" or "foam"...whack the vine off near the ground, put the spray nozzle on "foam", and plant a daub of that on the freshly cut tip. If you have the time, let it soak in and put some more on...doing it two or three times. That usually takes care of anything like that.
Thanks for all of your replies. The vine is called cats claw. It originated in Central and South America; it's highly invasive in Florida and pretty invasive in the rest of the southeastern US. It is drought resistant and very hardy in general. Round up doesnt kill it since the bulbs fuel its rapid regrowth. Theres also just too much to spray, in one square foot of soil there can be dozens of bulbs of various sizes, and the vine spreads all over the ground. We pulled as many bulbs and vines as we could and will do more. We had to pull out several azalea bushes because it infested them so much; the azalea roots were full of massive bulbs and the limbs were covered in vines. We probably will never eradicate it but we will at least keep it from growing back so much. If you find this vine in your yard, kill it with napalm. It can damage structures and plants. The plant does have herbal medicinal value, but it is still literally evil.
With plants like this, your best bet is to starve the tubers. Just keep ripping it out. You might then let a few leaves grow out again, then paint the new leaves with roundup. Roundup will be transported to the tuber and damage the new shoots trying to grow out. Roundup works by stopping synthesis of some plant amino acids, but the tuber probably already has a lot of these in storage and that is why it is hard to kill them. But, do this over and over again and you might get lucky enough to starve those vines and get full eradication.
Thanks for all of your replies. The vine is called cats claw. It originated in Central and South America; it's highly invasive in Florida and pretty invasive in the rest of the southeastern US. It is drought resistant and very hardy in general. Round up doesnt kill it since the bulbs fuel its rapid regrowth. Theres also just too much to spray, in one square foot of soil there can be dozens of bulbs of various sizes, and the vine spreads all over the ground. We pulled as many bulbs and vines as we could and will do more. We had to pull out several azalea bushes because it infested them so much; the azalea roots were full of massive bulbs and the limbs were covered in vines. We probably will never eradicate it but we will at least keep it from growing back so much. If you find this vine in your yard, kill it with napalm. It can damage structures and plants. The plant does have herbal medicinal value, but it is still literally evil.
My invasive vine that is driving me crazy is something similar ... a tropical vine first recorded as invading Florida a hundred years ago which moved up to Alabama and Georgia and now all the way up here to Pennsylvania! (further evidence of climate change):
Dioscorea Bulbifera - or "Air Potato Vine." It has pretty heart shaped leaves ... but it takes over and stangles everything in it's path!!!
Location: Tampa Bay`·.¸¸ ><((((º>.·´¯`·><((((º>
4,696 posts, read 7,890,053 times
Reputation: 13657
Quote:
Originally Posted by cheesymangoes
Thanks for all of your replies. The vine is called cats claw. It originated in Central and South America; it's highly invasive in Florida and pretty invasive in the rest of the southeastern US. It is drought resistant and very hardy in general. Round up doesnt kill it since the bulbs fuel its rapid regrowth. Theres also just too much to spray, in one square foot of soil there can be dozens of bulbs of various sizes, and the vine spreads all over the ground. We pulled as many bulbs and vines as we could and will do more. We had to pull out several azalea bushes because it infested them so much; the azalea roots were full of massive bulbs and the limbs were covered in vines. We probably will never eradicate it but we will at least keep it from growing back so much. If you find this vine in your yard, kill it with napalm. It can damage structures and plants. The plant does have herbal medicinal value, but it is still literally evil.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
