Mile-a-minute vine

Q&A

A reader asks: I started moving hostas and lillies this week so they have room to spread in other areas. Is it too late to propagate rose bushes, and if not can you tell me know to do it? I have five varieties and would love to cross my yellow with my deep red cabbage rose. Also, when is the last time I should fertilize my perennials and roses?

Carol replies:
This is a great time to move and divide perennials.
However you should stop fertilizing perennials and roses now so they can prepare for winter dormancy.
Propagating roses is different than hybridizing roses. Propagation usually means creating clones of an existing variety, usually by taking cuttings from young stems and inducing them to grow new roots with the help of rooting powder and a germination kit. Hybridizing roses means crossing two different roses to create a new offspring who may, or may not, combine desirable traits of the parents. This is a difficult business usually left to experts.

Mile-a-minute vine, a new invasive...

(Polygonum perfoliatum), an invasive vine native to eastern Asia, has been confirmed in two new counties in Massachusetts.

Also known as "devil's tail" or "Asiatic tear-thumb," mile-a-minute vine was first discovered in Massachusetts in 2006 in two locations: Falmouth (Barnstable County) and Milton (Norfolk County). Through a multi-agency effort to uncover new populations of this pervasive weed before it becomes established in Massachusetts, mile-a-minute vine was confirmed this past summer in the towns of Greenfield and Erving (Franklin County) and in Littleton (Middlesex County). In addition, a report from Boston in August led state officials to two seedlings which were immediately removed. A survey of the Boston site revealed no other mile-a-minute plants.

The plants found in Greenfield were removed after identification was confirmed, and state officials will continue to monitor the site over the next several years to remove any new seedlings that may be found. The mile-a-minute vine populations in Erving and Littleton are currently being assessed to determine the best way to manage them. The previously known populations of mile-a-minute vine in Milton and Falmouth are being managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, with the goal of eradicating the plants.

Mile-a-minute vine can be recognized by its perfectly triangular leaves, barbed stems, and clusters of metallic-blue berries. If left alone, this vine can quickly cover large areas and smother any plants in its path. Several other vines may be confused with this invasive species, including bindweed, fleecevine, and Asiatic bittersweet. The University of Connecticut offers a comparison of similar species on their website: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/mam/similarspecies.html

For more information about mile-a-minute vine, or to report a potential sighting in Massachusetts, visit http://massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQsheets/mileaminute.html or call 617-626-1779.