The Evil Chemicals.

Another evil vine for me is Virginia Creeper! It is beautiful in the fall, but completely covers the barberry bushes and they can't get sun and then have no color. I have pulled it off so many times and cut it to the ground. I am going to try pouring diesel on the cut stumps. That is an old country way to deal with stumps, thistles, etc. I just have to be careful not to pour too much!

Ah Cr**. I did a search on Amepelopsis in the perennial forums but must have spelled it wrong as nothing came up. I bought this vine and planted it thinking it was pretty and the birds would like the berries. Didn't know the common name of porcelain vine. So now, I'm cruising the Weeds forums and what do I find? ACK!!!!! Should I pull this baby out now while it is young so as not to let it a start it's invasive life in my perennial bed? Is it really invasive. I live in northeast Kansas and bought this at a small family run nursery. Should I let the owner know this vine is a no-no? Help, some advice would be greatly appreciated!!!
Mary K

If it were me, I would pull it out, as I keep pulling it out of my yard, and I never even planted the dopey thing.

As to telling the nursery owner - that would depend on your relationship with her/him, and if you want to have a relationship with them in the future. Some people don't care that they are growing and selling invasive non-native plants (for example, there is someone on Ebay selling Tree-of-heaven seeds), and some people get mighty cranky when you tell them they are doing something that is, in your opinion, wrong. So, they may not know what a barbarian Porcelain vine is, or they may know and not give a...hoot.
Tough call.

Joan

I'd make a further recommendation for Laura's treatment. It takes more than 5 days for Roundup to be translocated to the roots, especially in woody plants. So spraying the top vines with roundup first is pretty much a waste imho-it hasn't had time to get to the roots.
What's going to kill the evil thing it is the cut stump treatment with Brush-B-Gon. Save considerable time, energy and money and just do the cut stump treatment.
Again, you will have to leave the chem sit for more than a week-it takes more time than that to be completely absorbed into the roots. And it's part of the reason you are getting so many resprouts.

You could let the owner know if you like....... it's not a noxious weed in kansas..... yet at least.... it seems to be more of a problem in the east...... this is a terrible vine..... it's only really suited to deserty places where the lack of water really restricts it's growth...... any normal rainfall place like kansas or new jersey can't grow it...... it's too invasive..... sorry you bought it for nothing.......

Gee Wheez,
I just bought one yesterday! I love the colors and everything. We do have hot summers and where I could plant it is a place I ignore a lot.

I should have gotten a cheaper rate for this plant, I did get a 25% discount.

Well, thanks for the information. If needs be, Weed B Gon is a better killer than Roundup due to it attacking broadleaf plants.

I have seen what evil the porcelain berry can do. One year it's a little nothing and a few years later it covers acres of land. Covers all the trees. Gets into fields. You will curse the day you introduced it anywhere near you.

How to make your neighbors love you.

{{gwi:1163477}}

Though my story is about trumpet vine, you could use this same technique to get rid of Porcelain Berry vine.

When I moved into this house 16 years ago as a renter, I inherited a trumpet vine - campsis radicans. I have learned that it was the last plant to leaf out in the spring and the first to lose it's leaves in the fall. Here's my horror story and what I've learned about this vine. Over time the vine began to bloom and pop up everywhere in the yard. I would pull the sprouts only to find more year after year. When it pops up in the lawn it can just be mowed. After 13 years we purchased the house and had to cut down 5 trees and regrade the land due to overplanting and flooding. When we dug up the stumps from the trees and regraded we discovered roots of the vine 3' to 4' deep in the soil, up to 30' from the parent plant and as large around as my wrist! We dug and dug and, well you get the point. A year later we still had sprouts coming up from bits of roots that we'd missed.

Here is how I've learned you can get rid of it. Now, up until this point I had NEVER used herbicides or pesticides in the garden. Here's what I did and you can do to get rid of it. Put about an inch of Round Up Weed and Grass Killer Super Concentrate in a clear plastic container with a tight fitting lid like you might get at the deli with potato salad. Cut a slit in the lid and insert the tips of the vine in the solution when in active growth. Leave the vines in the solution for 48 hours and then cut the vines near the lid. To remove the vine from the lid, be sure and take the container to a safe place so that no solution splashes on anything precious. You can reuse the solution until it is all absorbed. Everytime I find a new sprout I do this same procedure. So far there have been no sprouts from areas that were treated this way.

Good luck,
Newt

Uh oh! I planted one last June...it hasn't had any berries yet but after reading this forum I'm pulling it out...hope I'm not too late!

Hi,

I've had good success with Ortho Poison Ivy Killer, using the pull down and poison technique. I've also managed to dig up the entire plant using a Lee Valley water powered weeder (hose end probe) and a four tine rake. The plant comes out easily. Also works with honeysuckle. It gets really muddy, but it's very effective.

I was just about to sow 'porcelain vine' but I didn't know what it was, i got it from a trade, so I came to google it,I AM SO GLAD I DID !!!! I will throw it away, maybe not I better burn it!!! Chris

I am not sure what you all are talking about as my porcelain vine is now four years old and nicely contained on a trellis. In fact I wish it would grow more. For all of you who bought porcelain vines do not throw them out. Plant them and enjoy the beautiful variegated foliage and the gorgeous blue berries...they really do look like porcelain. I love my vine!!!!

This is a very old post, but vinesrgood, porcelain berry is a known introduced invasive in some areas where it is noted for concern, it can depend on your climate. While you are happy with it in your garden, and that may be due to the young age of your plant, it may not behave as well for others.

More of an E coast issue, but a listed invasive in Oregon - a little north of there and near the ocean, the one I grew never produced seedlings, probably due to our cool summer season and berries not fully ripening before first frost in Fall.

I don't know what part of Canada you garden in, but you may want to read up on how this vine when fully mature may behave in your location. You may be able to monitor seedlings in your own garden, but you have no control over those birds may spread and sow.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ampelopsis

I moved to Oregon after living in far less hospitable climates. Things grow much bigger here! wow..have ended up having to move a tons of plants!

I moved a huge Porcelain Berry and after 4 years it is taking off. But I think I am going to tear it out after reading all this. Plus you never get a chance to see the beautiful berries here as the birds devour them PDQ!

For killing unwanted plants if you take a tooth pick and poke holes in the cambium layer( the thin layer just inside the bark) the Round Up or Brush Killer will work much better. Have used this method several times. I also have a huge Akebia which while covering my pergola has inconspicuous flowers and fruit nothing eats! I planted climbing roses along side them and when they get bigger..bye bye Porcelain berry and akebia! Crikey! Don't even get me started on the wisteria I yanked out..am still battling shoots that are still coming up everywhere 4 years later!! UGH! And I love vines!! Not these!