Introduction:
Creeper (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) Weed on a building.
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata is a deciduous, climbing vine of the grape family. It is a hardy species that can adapt to a variety of environmental conditions, growing especially well in moist soils exposed to full sunlight or partial shade. It is however drought-tolerant and adaptable to poor soils of varying pH. In spite of its aggressiveness, it continues to be spread via the horticultural trade. Birds and other small mammals disperse its seeds, and evidence exists that water acts as a secondary method of dispersal.
Description:
According to Young (2000), Ampelopsis brevipedunculata is a deciduous, woody, perennial vine of the grape family: Vitaceae. It is related to the North American raccoon-grape and peppervine, and is sometimes referred to as Amur peppervine or porcelain ampelopsis. The simple, heart-shaped leaves are dark green with coarsely toothed edges and are shiny underneath with delicate hairs along the veins. The leaves vary from slightly 3-5 lobed to deeply dissected, the latter being distinctively recognisable. The leaves are arranged alternately on vines that grow to heights of 4.5 to 6 metres. The plant climbs by tendrils that grow opposite the leaves on the stem. Small, greenish-white flowers appear in clusters on A. brevipedunculata. The colourful berries are its most distinguishing feature, about 60mm in diameter, and range in colour from white to yellow, pastel shades of green, lilac to amethyst purple, and turquoise to sky blue. All colours of the berry are often found simultaneously on the same plant while it is still in full foliage. In North America several native species of Ampelopsis could be confused with this exotic.
Occurs in:
Riparian zones, ruderal/disturbed, urban areas.
Habitat description:
Creeper (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) Distribution in North America shown in green.
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata grows especially well in moist but not permanently wet soils, such as pond margins, streambanks, thickets, and waste places exposed to full sunlight or partial shade. Like its grape relative, A. brevipedunculata appears less tolerant of heavily shaded areas, such as that found in mature forest. A. brevipedunculata is drought-tolerant. It is adaptable to poor soils of varying pH.
General impacts:
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata is a vigorous vine that is slow to establish but grows and spreads quickly in open areas of the urban landscape. After natural or human disturbance, seeds germinate readily in the soil bed. Once established, the vine quickly overwhelms native vegetation by shading out smaller plants and competing for water and nutrients. The vine smothers native plants as it surrounds them and burdens them with extra weight, which causes the natives to become susceptible to wind and ice damage. Especially vulnerable to invasion in North America, are urban parks with extensive wooded borders, neighbouring landscaped residential and private property. Although attractive to landscapers, the thick mats of A. brevipedunculata spatially usurp other plants.
Management information:
Preventative measures:This invasive plant is still popular in the horticultural trade,the most effective control is removal from commercial trade and the use of alternative plants for landscaping and gardening. In North America some alternative species include trumpet honeysuckle, goldflame honeysuckle, and jackman clematis.
Close up of the Creeper (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) Weed.
Though flowers are produced on the current season’s growth, hand pruning in the fall or spring will not prevent flower buds from forming the following season.
Physical: Where feasible, plants should be pulled up by hand before fruiting to prevent the spread of seeds. If the plants are pulled while in fruit, the fruits should be bagged and burned before they ripen. Because the roots of A. brevipedunculata plants often merge with shrubs or other desirable vegetation, this type of manual removal is difficult in well-established patches without damaging the desirable vegetation as well.
Chemical: The herbicides triclopyr (e.g., Garlon 3a and Garlon 4) and glyphosate (Roundup and Rodeo) have been used with varying success to battle infestations of A. brevipedunculata. Application of a water-based solution of 2.5% Garlon 3A (triclopyr amine) to foliage should be done from summer to fall. For basal bark application, a mixture of 20-30% Garlon 4 (triclopyr ester) with an equal volume of commercially available basal oil, diesel fuel, No. 1 or 2 fuel oil, or kerosene can be used. Other oils, such as horticultural oil can be substituted if the label for the oil recommends it for basal bark application.
Smaller infestations can be controlled to some extent with spot applications of glyphosphate to leaves. Or the vine can be cut first, allowed to regrow, and then triclopyr can be applied to new growth. Application should be during any season when temperatures are around 15 deg C or more for several days, around the basal portions of vines. Vines can grow as long as 4.5m in a single growing season, so repeated applications in the same growing season and in subsequent years may be necessary to fully eradicate the plant. Herbicide treatment is most effective when applied toward the end of the growing season when plants are actively transporting nutrients from stems and leaves to root systems.
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