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Wednesday - May 25, 2011

From: Dallas, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants
Title: Invasive Cissus trifoliata in Dallas
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have finally identified an invasive, stinky vine in my urban landscape as Cissus trifoliata. It was waxy leaves, small greenish flowers, and small black berries. It appears to spread with underground tubers. Its odor, when pulled, is very unpleasant. It climbs on brick houses and wood fences, into trees, and over shrubs. Is there any way to get rid of this vine?

ANSWER:

As you will see by following this link, Cissus trifoliata (Sorrelvine), to our webpage on the plant it is quite common, and a native plant to most of Texas. Just because we are in favor of native plants doesn't mean we approve of all of them, and this one is definitely on our "NOT" list. It is a member of the Vitaceae, or grape, family and anyone who has ever had wild grapes invade their gardens knows how hard they are to get rid of.

Native Habitat: Cissus trifoliata grows in chapparal, salt marshes, stream banks, open woodlands, and disturbed areas. It sprawls and climbs over rocks, shrubs, and trees. It is found throughout most of Texas.

It is a broadleaf plant, so if you purchased an herbicide specifically for broadleaf plants, as opposed to narrowleaf plants like grasses, you could probably at least discourage it. Unfortunately, the trees and plants it is climbing over are broadleaf plants, too. And, because of growing with underground rhizomes, the herbicide would probably affect it very little and damage or kill a lot of plants you want to keep.

You can at least get some control over it, and the sooner you start, the better. It blooms from May to September, followed by the berries, which the friendly birds no doubt consume and then deposit somewhere else for a fresh vine start. With heavy gloves and long sleeves and pants on, get as much of the vine cleaned out and bagged for the landfill as you can. As the base of this vine is often woody, particularly the larger ones, the next step is to sever those vines as near the ground as possible. Use a wide spectrum herbicide and paint it on the cut base of the vine, within 5 minutes. The vine will be trying to heal itself over, to protect the rhizomes under the soil, so a speedy application is important.

After that, it is a matter of persistence. This vine really, really wants to grow where you don't want it, and it will be using both seeds and the food storage in the rhizomes to do so. Learn what it looks like when it first pops up, and get it and as much of the rhizome that has sprouted it out of the ground immediately.

From the Image Gallery

Cow-itch vine
Cissus trifoliata