NEW YORK - NEW JERSEY TRAIL CONFERENCE &

RUTGERS UNIVERSITY

VOLUNTEER INVASIVE PLANT

SURVEY Plant Guide

MAY – JULY, 2006

This is a guide to a selection of species introduced to the northern NJ/southern NY. It is not inclusive of all introduced species in the area. Some of the distinguishing characters noted will not apply in other areas because of differences in plant communities. Technical terms are used as little as possible and are defined when used. A plant glossary might be useful. A magnifying glass, ruler, and a small knife will be useful when using this key.

The type of growth is color-coded: Blue=Trees, Red=Shrubs, Orange=Vines, Violet=Herbs, and Green=Grasses. The distinction between trees and shrubs is not concrete. Shrubs tend to be smaller than trees and quite often have multiple stems rather than a single trunk, but some plants identified as trees often take this form.

The first plant to know is poison ivy. It has compound leaves with three leaflets and white berries. It can be a vine or a ground cover. Vines often very hairy. Proceed with caution when identifying vines or entering heavy growth.

References: Bailey, L.H. 1949. Manual of Cultivated Plants. Macmillan, New York.

Fernald, M.L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany 8th ed. American Book Co., Boston.

Gilman, Edward F. and Dennis G. Watson. 1994. Viburnum sieboldii Siebold Viburnum Fact Sheet ST-662, a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Ser-vice, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida.

Gleason H.A. and A.C. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York.

Graves, A.H 1992. A Handbook of the Woody Plants of the Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Dover Publications. Mineola, NY. ISBN: 0486272583

Haragan, P.D. 1996. Ligustrum vulgare, L. sinense, L. japonicum. pp.58-58 in Randall, J. and J. Marinelli (eds.). Invasive Plants: Weeds of the Global Garden. 1997. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NY.

Holmgren N.H. 1998. Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York.

Koelling Melvin R and Randall B. Heiligmann, eds. 1996. North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual. Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 856.

Magee D.W. and H.E. Ahles. 1999. Flora of the Northeast. University of Mass. Press, Amherst.

Mehrhoff, L. J., J. A. Silander, Jr., S. A. Leicht, E. S. Mosher and N. M. Tabak. 2003. IPANE: Invasive Plant Atlas of New England. Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, UConn, Storrs, CT, USA.

Newcomb N. 1977. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Little Brown, Boston.

Peterson R.T. and M. McKenny. 1968. A field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and North-central North America. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Randall. John M. and Janet Marinelli, eds. 1996. Invasive plants: Weeds of the Global Garden. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, NY ISBN: 0945352956

Robinson, B.J. 1908. Gray's Manual of Botany 7th ed. American Book Co., New York, NY.

Seiler, John R, John A Peterson, and Edward C Jensen Woody Plants in North America. 2006. Kend-all/Hunt Publishing. 3 Compact Disks. ISBN: 0-7575-2365-X

Acer platanoides Norway maple ACPL

Acer platanoides, Norway maple, is a tree that grows to 40-60’, but can reach 100’.

Bark: Grayish and regularly and shallowly grooved.

Leaves: 4-7’’ wide, palmately lobed, opposite, and have 5 to 7 sharp lobes with large but few teeth. The grooves between the lobes are v-shaped. The leaf petioles give out a white sap when broken. The leaves are usually green, but some strains have dark red leaves. The fall color of the green leaves is yellow.

Flowers: Appear in April and May and are yellow-green. The flowers appear in rounded, bouquet-like clusters that are borne on an erect stalk called a peduncle. Each flower is about one quarter inch wide.

Fruit: The fruit are one-seeded, dry, and winged (a samara), typical of maples. Each measure1.5-2” in length, and are found stemmed in pairs on the tree.

Similar species: Acer saccharum (sugar maple), Acer rubrum (red maple). Break a living leaf petiole and look for the white sap. An important feature distinguishing Norway maples from other maples is the angle that separates the wings of the paired fruit: Norway maple fruit reach a nearly 180º angle to each other, but seeds of sugar and red maple are generally separated by 120º or less. Sugar and red maple leaves are generally 3.5-5.5” wide. Sugar maple leaves have fewer teeth than the Norway maple. The lower lobes of red maple leaves are difficult to distinguish nad the leaves have many small teeth. Bark of sugar maples is thick and forms irregular plates. Red maple bark is smooth and grey when young, but breaks into narrow plates as the tree ages.

Characters at a glance: leaf lobing; milky sap; fruit angle; bark.

From: http://www.earthworksboston.org/articles/UWnorway.htm

Ailanthus altissima Tree-of-heaven AIAL

Ailanthus altissima, tree of heaven, is a rapidly growing tree that can reach over 60’.

Leaves: Pinnately compound (composed of leaflets connected to a central axis)

Leaflets: 11-25. Ovate (egg-shaped) to lanceolate (like a spear point). About 3-5’ long. Bases may be a bit flattened and the tips are pointed or long-pointed. Each side of the base usually has a course of tooth that might be inconspicuous. Each of these teeth has a large gland beneath it.

Branches: Give an unpleasant odor when broken, often compared to peanut butter. Scars from lost leaves are large and heart-shaped. Bark: Smooth; pale gray.

Flowers: Appear in late spring. Male and female flowers on separate trees. Both types are small (less than 1/4”) and greenish to greenish-yellow. Found in loose branching clusters called panicles at the end of branches. Each panicles is roughly pyramid-shaped and 4-8” long. Male flowers have an unpleasant smell.

Fruit: Appear from Sept. to Oct.. Found in hanging clumps on female trees. Begin yellowish-green to red, but turn brown with age. Individual fruits are winged sama-ras (similar to maple seeds), but the wings are twisted. Each is about 2” long.

Similar species: Sumacs, Aralias, and walnuts have similar leaves. Sumac leaves tend to be paler on the underside and might be hairy. Staghorn and smooth su-macs have toothed leaflets; shining sumac has entire (untoothed) leaflets. Su-macs have clusters of hairy, red fruit. Aralia leaves are bi-pinnate (leaflets are also divided into leaflets!), have prickles along the leaf axis, and the branches and trunk are spiny. Aralia fruit are juicy and purple to black. Walnuts have husky, green fruit containing nuts. Walnuts have rough, deeply furrowed bark, even when young.

Characters at a glance: long, compound leaves; flowers; fruit; odor.

Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 2: 61.

© John M. Randall/The Nature Conservancy

*Aralia elata Japanese angelica tree AREL

Aralia elata is a deciduous small tree or shrub up to 20’ tall, possibly taller.

Bark: Rough and gray with thorn-like prickles.

Branches: Spiny and thick. May have prominent leaf scars.

Leaves: Alternate, large, 3-4’ long. Leaves look fern-like because they are double-pinnately compound, meaning they have a central axis, along which are leaflets that are themselves also pinnately compound. Can be triple pinnate.

Leaflets: Oval, fuzzy beneath, and can number 80 or more per leaf. Leaves will turn purple or orange in the fall and may drop early in season.

Flowers: Small and white. Produced in large umbels (clusters of flowers in which the stalks originate at the same point) in July-August. Umbels can be 2’ long.

Fruit: Small and purple to black, spherical.

Characters at a glance: large, fern-like, bi-pinnately compound leaves; prickles.

*Paulownia tomentosa Princess tree PATO

Paulownia tomentosa, princess tree, is a fast-growing tree that can reach 60’. Trunk diameter can reach 4’.

Bark: Thin, rough, and gray-brown. Interspersed with smooth areas.

Branches: Olive to dark brown. Hairy and markedly flattened where stems and branches meet. Bear prominent white lenticels (corky pores)

Leaves: Opposite. Long-stemmed. Egg-shaped (ovate) with a heart shaped base. Margins toothless, but may be notched or slightly lobed. Large: 6-15” long and 4-8”wide. Both sides Pubescent (fuzzy) when young, upper surface only when older.

Flowers: Showy and extremely fragrant. Lavender or bluish. 2-2¾” long and borne in erect terminal, branching clusters (panicles). Sepals (leaf-like structures below the petals) and flower stalk felt-like (tomentose). Appear before leaf-out.

Fruit: Woody, teardrop capsules. About 1½” long and 1” wide. Begin sticky and green but become dry and brown by Sept. Persist into winter.

Similar species: Catalpa spp. have similar leaves, but they usually occur in threes. Catalpa flowers are white and appear after leaf-out in June or July. Fruit are very long, thin pods. Pith (center of twigs) of Paulownia is hollow or chambered.

Characters at a glance: lavender flowers; teardrop capsules; large leaves.

USDA Forest Service Collection Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation Carnegie Mellon University

*Viburnum sieboldii Siebold Viburnum SIVI

Viburnum sieboldii grows most often as a large multi-trunked shrub; may be a small tree. Can reach 20’ and occasionally more. 10-15’ wide

Bark: Gray and plated like an alligator. Lenticels (pores) are prominent.

Leaves: Simple, opposite, and elliptic to obovate (egg-shaped with the narrow end near the stem). 2-6” long and 1.5-3” wide. Leaves are dark green and give off a pungent odor when crushed. Leaf margins are serrated (with sharp-pointed teeth) or crenate (with rounded teeth). Veins and petioles are pubescent (fuzzy). Leaves may turn red in autumn, but generally remain green and persist on the tree into late fall.

Branches: Stout and short. Leaf scars connect around twigs. Lenticels are very noticeable and look like small, light-colored bumps.

Flowers: Blooms late may. A plant can be virtually covered with 3-6’ flat-topped clusters (cymes) of tiny, off-white flowers.

Fruit: Begin pinkish-red and ripen to dark blue or black from August to October. They are about a half inch long and are held in clusters above the foliage. Fleshy and eaten by birds.

Characters at a glance: leaves; leaf odor; abundant flowers; fruit

© Copyright Mark Brand. UConn Plant Database

Erv Evans NC State University

Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry BETH

Berberis thunbergii, Japanese barberry, is a dense, spiny deciduous shrub 2-8’ high and is widely planted as an ornamental. It can form dense stands in a variety of habitats ranging from closed canopy forests, to woodlands, wetlands, pastures, meadows and wasteland and is readily dispersed by birds.

Flowers: Profuse pale yellow flowers about a quarter inch long located along the entire length of the stem. In clusters of 2-4 and blooming from mid April to May.

Fruit: Bright red, slightly juicy, but solid berries about a quarter inch long, typically elliptic but sometimes nearly spherical. Mature from July to October but can persist on the stems until the following spring.

Branches: Brown branches are smooth, hairless, deeply grooved, and have usually simple spines.

Leaves: Spatulate (like a spoon) or narrowly obovate (egg-shaped but with the narrow end close to the stem) and 0.5-1.5” long. Leaf edges are entire (smooth); Lightly covered underneath with ‘bloom’, a whitish powdery or waxy substance. They range in color from slightly bluish-green to green to dark reddish purple.

Similar species: The European barberry, Berberis vulgaris is also an introduced species, but not likely to be encountered. It grows more like a tree and the fruit hang off a branching central axis, rather than singly or in a bunch originating at a single point. Leaves of European barberry are serrate (edged with small teeth). Consider all Berberis as Japanese barberry.

Characters at a glance: dense, shrubby growth; red fruit much of the year; spines; leaves commonly burgundy colored

Paul and Bernice Noll

Euonymus alata Winged Euonymus EUAL

Euonymus alata is a multi-stemmed shrub reaching 10’ to even 20’. Their crown is typically rounded and they can be as wide as tall. Widely planted as an ornamental.

Leaf: Opposite, simple, and elliptical to obovate (egg-shaped, but with the narrow end toward the stem.) They are 1.5-3” long and 0.5-1.25” wide and their margins are finely serrated. Leaf stems are short. They are green above, slightly paler beneath, but turn bright red in the fall, making the plant very conspicuous and earning its common, burning bush.

Flowers: Inconspicuous, pale, yellow-green, 4-petaled, and 1/2" across. They occur in clusters of 1-3 and appear from late April to June.

Fruit: Appear from September to October. Fruit is a capsule about one quarter to one third inch long. The dark red to reddish-purple ovary splits open to reveal up to 4 seeds, each covered by a waxy, bright red-orange aril (fleshy seed covering).

Twig: Moderate, greenish brown with 2-4 conspicuous corky wings on each stem; buds sharp pointed and reddish brown. Wings missing on some strains.

Bark: Gray to gray-brown, splitting revealing a lighter inner bark causing it to look faintly striped.

Similar species: None

Characters at a glance: winged stems; bright red fall leaves.

©R. Jackson, U. of Colo. at Colorado Springs

Ligustrum vulgare Common privet LIVU

Ligustrum vulgare, common privet is a medium sized deciduous shrub growing to 12' to 15' tall, and about the same width. It is usually many-branched and can be very twiggy. These features have led to wide use of this plant as hedges.

Leaves: Simple, opposite and egg-shaped to lanceolate (shaped like a spear). 1-2 ½” long. Margins untoothed (entire). Dark green in summer, with a glossy, wax-like appearance. Turn purplish in fall.

Stems: Thin. Often feel coarse because of the many corky lenticels (pores).

Bark: Gray-brown and smooth.

Flowers: Bloom in mid-June. White flowers and born in terminal panicles (irregularly branching clusters) that are 1-3" long. Strongly fragrant (or perhaps odorous).

Fruit: Black and about 1/3” long. Ovoid or nearly spherical. Ripen in early Sept. and may persist through winter.

Similar species: Bush honeysuckles have similar growth habits and leaves, but differ in flowers and fruits. Ligustrum obtusifolium is another introduced privet that might be in our area. It looks similar but the underside of leaves, or at least the midrib, is pubescent (covered with short, fine hairs.) The leaves also tend to be less pointed.

Characters at a glance: arching branches; opposite leaves; persistent black fruit.

©exploratio.org © Stephan Imhof

Lonicera spp. Bush honeysuckles LOSP

Lonicera morrowii/maackii/tatarica/xbella Morrow’s/Amur/tartarian/hybrid honeysuckle; bush honeysuckles. Other exotic bush honeysuckles are: L. fragrantissima, sweet breath of spring, and L. xylosteum European fly honeysuckle. Bush honeysuckles are upright, multi-stemmed, oppositely branched, deciduous shrubs ranging from 6-20’. Branches may be very arching and spreading.

Leaves: Opposite and simple with entire margins. Elliptic to oblong (longer than broad, sides nearly parallel), or egg-shaped. Some (maackii) may taper concavely to a point (that is, they are acuminate). 1-3½” long. Color ranges from green to blue-green. In some species, undersides are paler or pubescent (fuzzy)

Flowers: White or pink, often changing to yellow with age. Opposite and growing from axils (where leaves attach to stems). ¾-1” long. In some species, 4 petals are fused, forming a lobed lip. In others, the petals remain separate.

Fruit: Spherical, ¼” berries. Usually red, can be orange or yellow. May overwinter.

Bark: Grayish-brown, sometimes scaly and developing long splits.

Twig: Slender. May be pubescent (fuzzy) when young, but this is lost with age. Pith (stem center) is brown and hollow in older twigs (solid where leaves attach).

Similar species: Native honeysuckles: Diervilla lonicera, northern bush h., L. Canadensis, American fly h. , and L. oblongifolia swamp fly h. (probably not in our parks). Flowers of exotics can be distinguished from natives (except swamp fly-honeysuckle) by their hairy styles (the part of the pistil to which the stigma is attached). The pith of exotics are hollow, at least in older twigs and away from nodes (where leaves attach). The hollowness may be subtle, about the width of a heavy needle. Privet has similar growth and leaves, but differ in flower and fruit.

Characters at a glance: arching branches; opposite leaves; berries; flowers.

L. maackii. Chris Evans, U. of Georgia, www.forestryimages.org

Rhamnus cathartica Common buckthorn RHCA

Rhamnus cathartica is a deciduous coarse shrub or small tree, 6.5-20 ft’ tall.

Branches: Glabrous (smooth and hairless). Usually have shoots that are tipped with stout spines.

Bark: Smooth, shiny gray to reddish brown with numerous lenticels (corky pores). Becomes dark gray, scaly, and peeling with age. Bark of large plants splits and becomes blocky.

Leaves: Opposite or nearly so. Elliptic to egg-shaped. 1½-3” long and can be acute or obtuse. Glabrous (smooth and hairless). Margins are minutely serrate. The lateral veins (usually 3, can have 2 or 4) on each side are strongly upcurved, each pair creating a goblet-shaped pattern. Leaves persist later into fall than most native species.

Flowers: Fragrant, non-showy, and yellow-green. 4-petaled and in clusters of 2-6. Appear in the spring while its leaves are expanding. Found near the bases of the leaf stalks. Plants have bisexual flowers along with either male or female flowers.

Fruit: Spherical, dark purple to black, and about ¼” across. Contain 3-4 seeds and appear in the fall.

Similar species: Frangula alnus, glossy buckthorn has alternate leaves, no spine at the end of branches, and its leaves have many lateral veins and they curve only near the leaf margin. Rhodotypos scandens, jet-bead, has coarse, doubly-serrated leaves and white, rose-like flowers.

Features at a glance: upcurved leaf veins; spines at end of branches; shiny bark on twigs, becoming gray and scaly, then splitting with age.

©J.S. Peterson. USDA NRCS NPDC

*Rhodotypos scandens Jet-bead RHSC

Rhodotypos scandens is a many-stemmed, deciduous shrub native to Japan. It can reach 6’ or more, but is typically wider than tall. It is characterized by dense, arching branches that create an appearance of a wide mound.

Leaves: Bright green and coarse, 2-4”long. Simple and oppositely arranged on long branches. Ovate (egg-shaped) and acuminate (concavely coming to a distinct point at the narrow end). Heavily pleated above, and covered with fine yellow hairs below. Margins (leaf edges) are doubly serrate (toothed). Pale yellow in fall

Flowers: White, 1 ½” wide, with 4 petals. Very rose-like (although most roses have 5 petals), which gives this plant their scientific name. Flowers are generally solitary, but may appear in groups of three or four, and are found at the end of stems. Appear in spring.

Fruit: Approx 1/3” in diameter and found in groups of 4. Glossy black and bead-like, hence the common name. Mature in Oct. but persist into winter. Poisonous.

Stems: Long, arching and abundant. Smooth and brown.

Similar species: Kerria japonica, Japanese kerria, has also escaped cultivation. Its flowers are bright yellow and 5-petaled. Some cultivars have double flowers that resemble marigolds. Kerria grows more loosely and less mound-like and its stems are uniformly green, perhaps becoming yellow-green in winter.

Characters at a glance: growth (mound-like); flowers (white, 4 petaled); leaves (course, doubly-serrated, pleated, opposite); fruit (black and bead-like).

Auburn University Landscape Horticulture

Rosa multiflora Multiflora rose ROMU

Rosa multiflora, multiflora rose, is a densely spreading perennial shrub that can reach 15’.

Branches: Arching and red to green. Smooth and hairless. Most plants bear recurved (bending downward, opposite from the end of the branch) thorns.

Leaves: Alternate and compound (consisting of leaflets). The 5-11 leaflets are pinnately arranged (stem from a central axis) and have serrated (toothed) margins. Individual leaflets are 1-1½” long and are ovate (egg-shaped) or elliptic Smooth and dark above and pale with small hairs below.

Flowers: Fragrant. 5 white to pink petals and numerous stamens. Bloom during May and June. 6-30 flowers per flat-topped or convex cluster (corymb).

Fruit: Red. Develop mid to late summer. Nearly spherical. About ¼-1/3” across.

Stipules: Stipules are leaf-like appendages at the base of the petiole (leaf stalk). In multiflora rose, these are described as being fringed or comb-like, meaning they have a narrow central axis with long processions extending from the margin.

Similar species: There are several other roses in the area, both native and non-native. Look first for the upright-arching growth (as opposed to groundcover or short plants), then the clusters of 6-30, 5-petaled flowers. Then look for the fringed stipules. Natives: R. Virginiana—stipules are broad and resemble narrow leaflets; R. Palustris (swamp rose)—stipules are very narrow and have no comb-like processions. It also prefers wet places. Some Rubus spp. (blackberries, raspberries, etc.) resemble roses. Look for the fruit, count leaflets, and compare leaflet shape and prickles (thorns). Greenbrier (Smilax)has simple, heart-shaped leaves

Characters at a glance: compound leaves; thorns; fruit; flower clusters.

© Błażej Gierczyk

Rubus phoenocolasius Wineberry RUPH

Rubus phoenicolasius is a deciduous perennial that reaches 6’ with arching stems.

Stems: Typically very red and hairy with a few slender prickles. Hairs reddish-purple, glandular, and 1/10-¼” long. Old stems may be woody.

Leaves: Alternate and compound with 3 leaflets. Leaflets are toothed and course teeth on sides of the terminal leaflet can be very prominent, giving a slightly lobed look. Terminal leaflet is broadly ovate (egg-shaped) and can be 4” long. Lateral leaflets are similarly shaped but smaller. Petioles (stalk that attaches leaf to the stem) also hairy. Upper surface of leaflets green and pubescent (covered with fine hairs), lower surface appears white because of the dense, short hairs that give the appearance and feel of felt. White lower surface often revealed by wind.

Flowers: Appear late May-June. In many-flowered, irregularly branching clusters called panicles. Petals are small, white, and narrowly ovate (egg-shaped). Sepals (modified leaves below the petals) are hairy and longer than the petals.

Fruit: Juicy and bright, shiny red. About 1/3- ½” thick, and may have fine hairs. Ripen June to July.

Similar species: Several other Rubus spp. are in the area. Look for the hairy, red stems (versus heavy thorn-like prickles) and white lower leaf surfaces. New growth only of some Rubus might be red and hairy. Compare several leaves: some Rubus have simple leaves; others have compund leaves with more than 3 leaflets.

Characters at a glance: hairy, red stems; 3 serrated leaflets; white and wooly underside of leaflets.

© John M. Randall The Nature Conservancy Britt Slattery, US FWS

www.forestryimages.org

© John M. Randall The Nature Conservancy

*Akebia quinata Five-leaf Akebia AKQU

Akebia quinata, chocolate vine, grows as a twining woody vine or as vigorous groundcover. Deciduous in the north, evergreen in the south.

Stems: slender, rounded. Green when young, but turn brown with age

Leaves: Alternate. Palmately compund (like a spread hand; arising from the same point), with 5, sometimes less, equal-sized leaflets. Leaflets generally long ovals, 1½-3” long. Margins are entire (untoothed). Emerge with a purplish tinge, becoming blue-green at maturity.

Flowers: Chocolate-purple colored, and fragrant (likened to chocolate), about 1” across. Appear late March to early April. Often concealed by new foliage, and may not appear at all. Found in axils (angle where leaf meets stem).

Fruit: Purple-violet, flattened sausage-like pods, 2 ¼ to 4” in long. Ripen late Sept. to early Oct. Inside of the pod has a whitish, pulpy core with many tiny black seeds. Vines may not bear fruit.

Similar species: Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and false Virginia creeper (woodbine; Parthenocissus vitacea) also have palmately compound leaves, but the leaflets are very toothed. POISON IVY has three, pinnately arranged leaf-lets. Leaves resemble those of the common indoor houseplant, Schefflera (umbrella tree).

Characters at a glance: palmately compound leaves; oval leaflets; slender stems.

© 2004 Michael King

C.E. Williams, Clarion University

*Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Porcelain-berry AMBR

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata, porcelain-berry, is a tendril-bearing, woody perennial vine that can reach10-20’or more.

Leaves: Alternate, ovate (egg-shaped) with a heart-shaped base. 2-4” across. Margins coarsely toothed. Teeth may be rounded. Variably lobed: can be slightly 3-lobed, deeply 3-lobed, or may have 3 obvious lobes and 2 more subtle lobes. Undersides of leaves and petioles (leaf stalks) hairy, especially when young.

Twigs: Hairy when young. Padless tendrils arise opposite from leaves.

Flowers: Green, small. Densely arranged in clusters called cymes (cymes do not add flowers after the terminal flower has bloomed). Appear July-August.

Fruit: Hard berries. Spherical, ¼-1/3” across. Variously colored: yellow, lilac, green, marbled, but typically become light blue. Different colors may be found in the same cluster. Appear in Sept.

Similar species: POISON IVY: Leaves compound; vine may be hairy. Boston ‘ivy’, or Japanese creeper (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), a common building climber, is very similar. Key features of Boston ‘ivy’: Sticky pads on tendrils; flattened fruit, which begin green and change to bluish-black. Also, its leaves are more consistently 3-lobed and symmetrical, (although they can be divided deeply enough to be compound), and are pale beneath. Grapes, Vitis spp., can look very similar, but these have peeling bark with no lenticels (corky pores). Pith (center of stems) of porcelain-berry is white; brown in grapes. Grape flowers tend to be in longer, more-branched clusters called panicles, which can add flowers after some have bloomed.

Characters at a glance: variably colored fruit; variably lobed, serrated leaves; unpeeling bark; white pith; padless tendrils.

Photo by Elizabeth J Czarapata D. Barringer, National Land Trust

Celastrus orbiculatus Oriental bittersweet CEOR

Celastrus orbiculatus is a perennial, deciduous vine that can grow up to 60’.

Leaves: Light green, simple (not divided into leaflets) and alternate. Spiral around stem. Circular, egg-shaped (ovate), reverse ovate (obovate), or widely elliptic. Leaves of young plants often more narrow (look for tendril at end of stem).

Stems: Dark brown to brown striated bark. Can reach 4” in diameter.

Twigs: Dark brown, brown or light gray. Smooth and hairless.

Flowers: Bloom May to early June. Axillary (located where leaves attach to the stem). Greenish and very small (~1/10” long, about twice as wide). 3-4 per cluster.

Fruit: Produced July to Oct. Round and about ¼-1/3” in diameter. Green changing to bright yellow. Ovary walls begin to fall after frost, revealing 3 red-orange wedges, which are the seeds covered by a fleshy aril. red-orange

Similar species: POISON IVY: Compound leaves with 3 leaflets; vine may look furry; white berries. Grape vines have opposite leaves that are toothed, sometimes lobed, and often hairy beneath. Also, grape vines and porcelain-berry have tendrils. Celastrus scandens, American bittersweet, bears a closer resemblance. The inflorescence (flower clusters) of C. scandens is terminal (at the tip of the vine), not axillary. An inconsistent feature is the color of the ovary walls: Darker orange in C. scandens, contrasting less with the red arils. C. Scandens is relatively rare. Greenbrier (Smilax spp.) also has simple leaves but the vine is prickly.

Characters at a glance: simple, alternate leaves; yellow and red fruit.

James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service www.forestryimages.org

Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle LOJA

Lonicera japonica is a woody, twisting vine without tendrils or aerial roots reaching 30’. It can form dense thickets in bushes and trees or sprawl along the ground.

Leaf: Opposite, simple, ovate to oval, 1-3” long, entire margin, light green and somewhat pubescent (having short, fuzzy hairs) on the underside. Young leaves can be lobed or toothed. Can retain green leaves through winter.

Flowers: Very fragrant, ½-1” long, white or yellowish-white petals, pubescent (fuzzy) on their outer side. Appear late spring. Fade to yellow with age. Occur in pairs on separate short stalks at axils (where the leaves attach to the stem).

Fruit: ¼" in diameter, black or purple berry, often in pairs, ripen in fall and persist into early winter. Within the berries are 2-3 small brown to black ovate seeds.

Twig: Slender and light red-brown to straw-colored. Young stems are hairy while older stems become hairless and hollow. Develop scaly, thin, shreddy, peeling bark

Similar species: There are several honeysuckles in our area, native and non-native. Some are shrubs, not vines. Native vines: Trumpet honeysuckle, L. sem-pervirens, limber honeysuckle, L. dioica, and hairy honeysuckle L. hirsuta. Flowers of the first two species are red; those of the third are yellow. The flowers are at the ends of vines, not in axils. Importantly, the terminal leaf pairs of the native vines are fused together at the base and it appears as though the stem pierces the pair. (L. caprifolium, Italian woodbine, an introduced vine, shares this trait). Fruit of the native vines are scarlet. Also useful: Native honeysuckles, whether a bush or a vine, have solid stems, while older stems of non-natives are hollow (the hollowness may be subtle, perhaps the width of a heavy needle).

Characters at a glance: simple, opposite leaves; flowers; slender, hollow stems.

James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, www.forestryimages.org

Polygonum perfoliatum Mile-a-minute POPE

Polygonum perfoliatum is a rapidly growing herbaceous annual vine. It can grow to 23’ long and as much as 6” per day.

Stems: Thin, jointed, and highly branched. Green to reddish-green. Bear back-ward-pointing barbs. Dead winter plants are reddish-brown to tan and often form brittle mats.

Leaves: Alternate, ¾-3” wide. Pale green and thin. Smooth and hairless, but veins on the underside and petioles bear backward-pointing barbs. Triangular and often equilateral. Petioles (leaf stems) are long and perfoliate, meaning that the margin of the leaves extend beyond where the petiole attaches (if the petiole were contin-ued, it would appear to pierce the leaf). Stipules (leaf-like organs at the base of the petiole) are united to form a saucer or cup-like structure called an ocrea.

Flowers: Inconspicuous, about 2/10” across, and white. On racemes (unbranched, linear clusters) about ½” long that emerge from the ocrea.

Fruit: Berry, 2/10” across. Begin green, becoming pale metallic blue. Produces fruit continuously from June until the first frost.

Similar species: A number of other Polygonum species are in the area, but the tri-angular, perfoliate leaves are unique. Aristolochia macrophylla, Dutchman's-pipe or pipevine, and A. serpentaria, Virginia snakeroot (endangered in NY), have elongate heart-shaped leaves and lack the bract at the petiole. Calystegia spp. (bindweeds, morning glories) leaves more closely resemble arrows, with bases being lobed or extended, but not perfoliate. Flowers are large, singular, and trumpet-like.

Characters at a glance: thin, jointed stems; perfoliate, triangular leaves.

www.riparianbuffers.umd.edu/manuals/pannil.html

Leslie J. Mehrhoff. Invasive Plants of New England

*Cynanchum louiseae Black swallow-wort CYLO

Cynanchum louiseae, black swallow-wort is an herbaceous, perennial vine, growing up to 7’. It grows unbranched and twining.

Leaves: Opposite, dark green leaves with entire margins. Hairless (glabrous) and shiny with short petioles (stalks). Ovate (egg-shaped) or ovate-lanceolate (spear point-shaped). 2-5” long and ½-2½ wide.

Flowers: Clusters of 6-10 dark purple, 1/8” long flowers growing from the axils (angle formed by leaves and stem) June to Sept. Cluster stalks (peduncles) are ¼-1¼” long. Corolla (petals) are fleshy and triangular and the upper surfaces bear short, straight, white hairs. Within the corolla is small, 5-lobed, crown-like corona.

Fruit: Slender, elliptical pods (follicles) 1½-2 ¾” long. Similar to milkweed but nar-rower. Pods begin green but turn brown with age. Stems persist at the end of the season, frequently bearing open pods with some seeds remaining inside.

Seeds: Brown, flattened, ¼” long and ovoid. They have a membranous wing along the margin and a tuft of white hairs at the narrow end.

Similar species: Bittersweets (Celastrus spp.) have alternate leaves and distinct fruit. Greenbrier (Smilax spp.) has very prickly vines, honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.), have distinct flowers and typically smaller, hairy leaves.

Characters at a glance: long, compound leaves; flowers; fruit, odor.

Photo by Jennifer Forman Orth, Umass Boston Leslie J. Mehrhoff, UConn, www.forestryimages.org

Alliaria petiolata Garlic mustard ALPE

Alliaria petiolata is a cool-season, herbaceous biennial that can reach about 3’.A first year plant is a basal rosette, or circular cluster of leaves (violets and dandeli-ons are examples of rosettes). The rosette remains green throughout the winter. They develop into mature flowering plants the following spring.

Leaves: Coarsely toothed and heart-shaped, although the lower leaves are more rounded. Give off a strong garlic odor when crushed. Basal leaves can be 2½ -4” long and wide. Leaves along the stem gradually decrease in size toward the top of the stem.

Stem: Erect and unbranched below flower clusters. Begins green but dies in late June, leaving behind a pale brown stalk that can hold seed pods over the summer.

Flowers: 4 white petals arranged in a cross shape, about a quarter inch in diame-ter. They are borne on short stalks (pedicels) arranged in loose clusters at the top of stems. They appear in April – May.

Fruit: Produced by May. Cylindrical, shiny, black seeds about 1/10” long are con-tained in pods called siliques. The siliques are 1-2 ½ ” long and 1/10” wide and con-tain 10-20 seeds. By June the plants are dead, leaving behind a dry, light-colored stalk often still bearing the seed pods.

Characters at a glance: Coarsely toothed, heart-shaped leaves; rosettes; white flowers; seed pods; 3’ tall dry stems.

www.discoverlife.org Chris Evans The University of Georgia www.forestryimages.org

Chris Evans The University of Georgia www.forestryimages.org

*Cardamine impatiens Narrowleaf bittercress CAIM

Cardamine impatiens is an herbaceous annual or biennial that can reach 2’.

Stem: Erect and smooth and hairless (glabrous)

Leaves: Pinnately compound, with 6-20 thin, slightly translucent leaflets attached to the central axis. Basal leaves form a rosette (circular cluster of overlapping leaves). Higher on the stem leaflets are sharply toothed, lower they become more round-lobed, although lobes typically bear a small terminal point. Key feature: The base of the leaves have slender extensions straddling the stem.

Flowers: White and small (1/10”). Bloom from May to August.

Fruit: Slender pods called siliques, typically of plants in the mustard family. About ¾” long on erect or angling stalks. Ripen May to Sept. and are located on spreading-ascending to erect pedicels.

Similar species: Other plants of the mustard family, such as garlic mustard, bear siliques on stalks near the top of the plant. Compare leaves and leaflets, and especially examine the leaf base.

Characters at a glance: compound leaves with toothed or lobed leaflets; exten-sions of leaf base straddling stem.

E. Horak Illustration by Virge Kask

Microstegium vimineum Japanese stiltgrass MIVI

Microstegium vimineum, Japanese stilt grass, is an annual grass that can reach 6’. Spreads readily, forming dense patches.

Leaves: Blades light green. 2-3” long and about ½” wide. Alternate. Widest near the base but tapered at both ends (lanceoloate). Both surfaces are slightly pubescent (fuzzy or wooly). A silvery line of reflective hairs run down the center of the blade. Blades fade to pale greenish-yellow or turn pale-purple in late fall. Sheaths (leaf parts hugging the stem) have hair-like projections at the top.

Stem (culm): Smooth and hairless. Roots at the nodes forming long, branched, horizontal stems up to 5” long with numerous upright branches resembling individual plants.

Inflorescence: Terminal or in axils (angles where leaves meet stems). Paired spikelets ¾-2¾” long, one of which attaches directly to the end of the stem, the other on a short stalk. Begins to flower in mid-Sept.

Fruit: Abundant, bristled (awned), ellipsoid grain from late Sept. through early Oct.

Similar species: Leersia virginica, white cutgrass, is easily confused. Its leaves are longer and lack the silver stripe and the nodes along its culm are hairy. Sheaths lack hair-like projections. Flowers early to mid August. Fall color not purplish. Inflorescence more open and branched. Grain are awnless.

Characters at a glance: 2-3” long blades that turn purplish in fall; silver line down blade; paired spikelets.

Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Sci. Soc.