Mile-A-Minute Vine
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Mile-A-Minute Vine (Persicaria perfoliata) is a highly invasive plant that can grow up to 6”/day, out-competing and completely covering vegetation on your property by blocking available light. The vine is easily identified as shown in the picture below. There are several other vines with triangular-shaped leaves that may be confused with mile-a-minute, however, the presence of barbs along the stems and saucer-shaped leaves (ocreae) at the nodes distinguish it from other look-alikes.
The vine can be controlled through manual, mechanical, chemical, and biological means as described in the various publication links listed below. It is particularly important to perform manual weeding or mechanical removal prior to fruit formation in order to prevent the falling of seeds. Each pea-size fruit contains a seed which will cause the spreading of the vine to new areas.
Please visit the following links to find out more about what you can do to protect your property.
NJ Dept of Environmental Protection - Fact Sheet
nj.gov/dep/njisc/Factsheets/mile.pdf
Plant Conservation Alliance - Alien Plant ‘Least Wanted’ List
nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pepe1.htm
Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
invasive.org/browse/subinfo.cfm?sub=3065
