Mile-a-minute Vine

(Persicaria perfoliata)

Family: Knotweed family (Polygonaceae)

Native Range: Asia

Mile-a-minute Vine*If found report here to Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources (MDAR).

Overview: Relatively new species to Massachusetts and considered an Early Detection Species. Herbaceous, annual vine that can grow ~6 in a day. Small, curved, sharp barbs cover the stem, petioles, and leaf undersides.

Size: Can grow to 25 feet in length

Leaves: Alternate, bluish-green leaves are set on long petioles. It is as long as wide (0.75-3.0 inches) and looks like a slightly forked equilateral triangle. Circular bracts are located at nodes encapsulating the stem.

Stem/Bark: Narrow, angular, delicate, reddish green stems, is highly branched, and covered with small, recurved spines over the stems

Flowers: Inconspicuous, pale green, and clustered on short stems. Produces flowers until frost.

Seed/Fruit: Green berries turn purple, then blue later in the summer

Roots: Shallow root system

Reproduction: Germinates in early April

Ecological Threat

  • Smothers vegetation, including mature trees, which may die from excessive shading or breakage
  • Sharp barbs are a nuisance to people and wildlife, especially when dense

Distribution and Background

Introduced via contaminated seedstock in 1930s at a nursery site in York County, Pennsylvania. Wildlife eat the fruit and spread the seed. Fruits and seeds can easily be transfer to other sites in mud packed boots, tires etc. In the Unites States, Mile-a-minute occurs in Oregon and in eastern states from New Hampshire to North Carolina, west to Indiana.

Habitat Type

Wood edges, open wetlands, and roadsides. Does best in full sun, but can tolerate partial shade with moderate to high soil moisture.

Management Options

Mile-a-minute Vine

Prevention is the most effective method, followed by early detection and a quick and regular response to remove the new infestation. With an establish population the goal irrelevant of treatment type/s is to prevent the plants going to seed and repeating this action every year until seeds no longer germinate.

Biological Control

  • USDA approved biocontrol, mile-a-minute weevil (Rhinoncomimus latipes), is host-specific to mile-a-minute vine and a native of China. Adult weevils feed on foliage, while larvae feed within stems at nodes. Adult weevils lay their eggs in the leaves, stems, and buds of the plant, where larvae feed until they pupate and drop into the soil. The insect’s life cycle spans about one month, with several generations taking place over one growing season. Damage from these weevils may cause enough damage to limit seed production in the plant.

Manual Control

  • Effective to hand pull especially when they are small. The longer into the season you wait to pull the more biomass you are dealing with. It is critical to pull before the plants go to seed. This must be done annually until the seed bank has been exhausted.

Mechanical Control

  • If conditions allow, mowing can replace hand pulling but must be done regularly enough to prevent the plants going to seed.

Chemical Control

  • In areas where hand-pulling or mowing is not possible a pre- or post- emergent herbicide may be effective.

Notice: Mention of Pesticide Products On This Web Site Does Not Constitute Endorsement Of Any Material. See Control and Disposal Methods for descriptions of application types and warnings.

Disposal

  • Compost on site if possible. If seeds present, cover the pulled plants to prevent seeds leaving the area.
  • Do not compost if seeds are present.
  • If seeds are present an incinerator is the only way to kill the seeds.

Look-alikes

There are native and non-native species that resemble mile-a-minute, but none of these has the combination of barbs, triangular leaves on long petioles, circular bracts, and blue fruits. See the guide below from the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture.