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Mile-A-Minute Weed Persicaria Perfoliata by: Tim Clancy. Identification. Very long narrow stem Recurved barbs on the stem Many buds on the stem that produce small, white flowers Flowers produce berry-like fruit that is blue in color Leaves are light green and look like equilateral triangles
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Identification • Very long narrow stem • Recurved barbs on the stem • Many buds on the stem that produce small, white flowers • Flowers produce berry-like fruit that is blue in color • Leaves are light green and look like equilateral triangles • Plant can grow up to 6 meters in length
Origin and how it got here • Native to Eastern Asia, India, China, Japan, and the Phillippines • First established in the U.S. in 1930 at Gable Nursery in Stewartstown, PA • Nursery owner planted holly seeds from Japan that happened to have mile-a-minute seeds in the mix • Nursery owner let the plant reproduce and it got out of control
Plant’s preferences • Likes a lot of sunlight and moisture • Commonly found in open areas, edge of woods and roadsides, and along stream banks. • Does not grow as well in the shade. • Plant usually dies when it gets colder in the fall, leaving the seeds behind
How it Impacts the environment • Plant grows very fast (6 inches per day) • Attaches to other plants using its barbs and continues to grow up and around them. • Blocks sunlight if host plant, reducing its capability to photosynthesis. • Puts additional weight on its host causing distortion of the hosts stem. • Both of those factors combine can put enough stress on the plant to kill it.
How it is spread • Self pollinating • Can produce 400-2000 seeds per season • Season is usually June-October • Seeds can survive in the soil for up to 6 yrs/w staggered germination • Main dispersal method is by animals • Mainly deer, squirrels, and birds • Seeds can also travel long distances down river
How to combat it • Mile-a-minute weevil (Rhinocominus latipes) • Adults eat the leaves and lay eggs on the leaves and stem • Larvae bore into stem to complete development then exit stem • Chemicals are not much use • Mile-a-minute weed usually envelopes other plants • If plant is by itself then the best herbicides to get rid of the weed are triclopyr and glyphosate • Leave less gaps in-between plants • Hand pulling the plant • mowing
Sources • http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pepe1.htm • http://ag.udel.edu/enwc/research/biocontrol/mileaminute.htm • http://www.gardening-advisor.com/mile-a-minute.html