On the right is oriental bittersweet, one of the most invasive plants in the United States. It was introduced here in the s and is now found from the east coast westward to Illinois. On the left is American bittersweet that is itself threatened. To tell them apart, look at their stems. The invasive oriental bittersweet has smooth stems, while the American bittersweet has blunt thorns.
You can also look at the location of their berries. This downward flow of plant compounds helps facilitate the transport of foliar and stump applied herbicide to the roots during these months for more effective kill. The mechanical control of cutting or mowing is also very effective during these months for the same reason.
For example, when you cut the top off any plant the roots naturally respond by pushing up more top growth sprouting , reducing the root reserves carbohydrates and other growth compounds stressing the plant.
Every time you cut the top off you force the plant to sprout which reduces the root reserves and weakens the plant. Suggested chemical control for vines too difficult to hand pull or dig during July, August, and up to mid-September is to cut Asiatic bittersweet down to one inch from the ground and immediately apply straight glyphosate herbicide to the freshly cut stump using a paint brush or sponge applicator.
Suggested chemical control in March, April, May, and June is to cut the stump high six to twelve inches and let it sprout. Then cut the sprouted plant in July, August, or early September to one inch from the ground and immediately stump-applicate with straight glyphosate herbicide. Properly identify Asiatic bittersweet vine. Educate your neighbors and others about what you are doing and why. Hand pull or cut what you physically are able before Asiatic bittersweet produces berries seeds , preferably before September.
Plants that prove to be too difficult to remove by way of pulling or digging you can cut down to a one-inch stump and immediately apply a glyphosate herbicide to the freshly cut stump using a paint brush or sponge applicator. Stump application is very effective during July, August, and up to mid-September.
Remember, you may have to leave the remaining vine up into the host vegetation because the vine has to dry out to become brittle enough to be effectively pulled off the host without causing branch damage. If you cannot stump-applicate the hard to pull plants during the summer months, then you can instead cut the plant six to twelve inches from the ground before it starts to produce berries seeds preferably by September Ellsworth, After the taller stump has re-sprouted, you cut it to one inch above the ground and immediately apply glyphosate herbicide to the freshly cut stump.
Allowing the stump to re-sprout during the summer months draws carbohydrate and other growth compounds from the roots and depletes some of the root energy making herbicide kill more effective. Foliar application of glyphosate works best on multi-stemmed vines that had been repeatedly cut for many years without chemical control follow up or had not been removed by digging. Foliar application works best between July and mid-September particularly on impenetrable thickets growing in open areas such as fields, along road sides and paths where the vines are not growing up on host vegetation.
Foliar application transports the herbicide from the leaves to the roots. If Asiatic bittersweet has many stems with foliage and is quite large, it may take one to two years for complete kill after one foliar application because multiple stemmed specimens generally have a very large root system.
Climbing vines that have foliage close to the ground should be sprayed from the ground up to six or more feet for effective control. Individuals contemplating using chemical control of Asiatic bittersweet in or near wetlands must use a wetland approved herbicide. Cold weather stump application November through February; temperatures ranging from Cold weather control frees up time for control efforts that is not available during the summer months and is especially useful on overgrown Asiatic bittersweet individuals.
The above suggested example may be modified to suit existing site conditions and the level of Asiatic bittersweet vine infestation. To learn more about Asiatic bittersweet vine, visit: www. Glossy Buckthorn. Common Buckthorn. Asiatic Bittersweet Vine. Winged Euonymus. Multiflora Rose. Japanese Barberry. Watch for his upcoming articles with information about individual invasive species.
Christmas becomes bittersweet indeed. Oriental bittersweet has been declared a noxious, invasive weed in many parts of the eastern U. Nonetheless, I won't delude myself into thinking my warning will deter any holiday decorators from going ahead with their misguided plans. In that case, may I make a simple suggestion?
When it's time to discard your bittersweet, carefully seal it inside a bag and put it out with the trash. Other commercially available vines you shouldn't plant, lest they wreak havoc in the landscape unless constantly monitored—air potato Dioscorea bulbifera , cat's claw Macfadeyana unguis-cati , Chinese wisteria Wisteria sinensis , fiveleaf akebia Akebia quinata , Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica , Japanese wisteria Wisteria floribunda , porcelain berry Ampelopsis brevipendunculata , silver lace vine Fallopia baldschuanica , sweet autumn clematis Clematis terniflora , trumpet creeper Campsis radicans , and Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia.
Oh yeah—don't plant kudzu either. It's bad. Ask The Grump! No question goes unanswered on his Facebook page. Be Careful With Bittersweet!
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