Who doesn’t love the beauty of vines? They can create privacy, add beauty when climbing a wall or fence, or add a bit of old-world charm to a stone wall. But some vines are a little too happy to climb, trail, and ramble and can quickly take over your entire yard. Even worse, some can even cause property damage and lead to canceled homeowners insurance policies. Yep – this actually happened to someone I know.
The harm caused by invasive vines is extensive. Entire ecosystems have been destroyed by invasive vines like kudzu. For the home gardener, these vines can outcompete and kill plants and trees in your garden and become an impossible-to-eradicate nuisance. They provide a home for rats, can rot your home’s wood, and even ruin your foundation.
Something you may notice among many of these vines is their shared beauty. Like many invasive plants, many of these vines were brought to the US from their native habitats for their beautiful flowers or foliage by unsuspecting plant lovers, only to quickly discover their invasive tendencies.
Here are 11 vines to avoid at all costs in your landscape. Do not purchase, do not take a cutting, and do not sow seeds of these 11 pesky species.
Chinese Wisteria
Its purple flowers are absolutely stunning and hang in fragrant plumes, but they spread like wildfire.
Wisteria is one of the most insidious culprits on this list. Its purple flowers are absolutely stunning and hang in fragrant plumes from arches, gazebos, and arbors. Wisteria sinensis was introduced to the U.S. market in the early 1800s as an ornamental plant. I hate to say it, but wisteria is undeniably gorgeous.
But do not be fooled by this plant’s beauty! They are an aggressive climber and can grow up to 65 feet into a tree’s canopy. They can thrive in sun or shade, can live up to 100 years old, and are tolerant of a wide range of soils. Their woody, strong stems wind around trees, cut through bark, and eventually kill them through girdling. Girdling is when a tree has been damaged all the way around, interrupting or ceasing the flow of water and nutrients.
Wisteria sinensis is considered invasive in many U.S eastern states, both northern and southern.
- American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is native to the U.S.
- Some resources suggest Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda), but this plant is also invasive in much of the U.S.
English Ivy
Easy-growing and resilient in shade, it’s easy to see why English ivy is invasive in many areas.
As classy and beautiful as English ivy is, it’s also incredibly invasive. This European native plant was brought to the U.S. by settlers and continues to be sold in plant nurseries today. Easy-growing and resilient in shade, it’s easy to see why English ivy is a popular choice for ground cover and as a plant to climb up masonry.
The problem with ivy lies in its root system, which has both roots in the ground and aerial roots. The aerial roots help it to climb trees and buildings. These aerial roots will climb trees in search of light and, if left unchecked, will completely cover and eventually kill it. While some ivy is OK to climb up buildings, Hedera helix will cause wood to rot from moisture, and its aggressive roots can force masonry apart when its roots climb into small cracks.
Its roots in the ground are also aggressive and very difficult to eradicate.
- Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
- Climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara)
- Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans)
Field Bindweed
This plant’s extensive rhizomatic root system and prolific seed production make it very, very hard to control.
This plant is a member of a huge group of plants commonly called morning glories. Field bindweed produces pretty pink or white trumpet-shaped flowers on fast-growing vines. But don’t be misled! This plant’s extensive rhizomatic root system and prolific seed production make it very, very hard to control. Once it’s in your garden or yard, it climbs through grasses and up any plant it finds, strangling it.
Their close relative is the tall morning glory, Ipomoea purpurea. While opinions are mixed on whether this plant is invasive, I recommend keeping it confined to a pot or container.
Due to its invasive nature, you probably won’t find bindweed sold in plant nurseries, but if you spot it in the wild, don’t be tempted to take a cutting.
Japanese Climbing Fern
It will grow in both shade and sun, moist and dry environments, and forms dense mats.
This vining fern is considered invasive in the U.S. and the E.U. It was introduced to Florida in the 1930s, right around the Victorian era, when houseplants boomed in popularity. It’s considered invasive in much of the southeast, including Florida. It will grow in both shade and sun, moist and dry environments, and forms dense mats that cover trees and shrubs.
While not a particularly popular vine in the nursery trade, if you do happen to find this species, you should absolutely not plant it. Even confined to a container or as a houseplant, this plant is particularly insidious for its microscopic spores, which can easily go airborne, spreading this plant near and far.
- American climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum)
- Southern maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris)
- American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
Japanese Honeysuckle
It forms thickets of dense vegetation that shades out native species and reduces biodiversity.
Native to Japan, Korea, Manchuria, and China, this woody vine was introduced to the U.S. in 1875 for agricultural and ornamental purposes. Nearly 150 years later, Japanese honeysuckle has become invasive in the Southeast. It forms thickets of dense vegetation that shade out native species and reduces biodiversity. Its fast-growing runners quickly climb trees and shrubs, leading to death and collapse.
This honeysuckle is favored for its sweet smell by humans and pollinators alike and is oft used for erosion control along banks and cliffs. It’s not the worst invasive species, but it’s still an ecological threat. It’s not all bad news, though – several native honeysuckles are readily available. If you can find it, Hall’s Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’) is less invasive than other varieties.
Virginia Creeper
It can quickly take over a garden and become very difficult to eradicate.
Adding Virginia creeper to this list may be a controversial take, so I’ll add a caveat: don’t grow Parthenocissus vitacea if you have or want a low-maintenance yard. This deciduous vine is appreciated for its fast-growing nature, fall color, and ability to disguise fences and unsightly walls. The same qualities it’s prized for, however, also make it a potential problem. It can quickly take over a garden and become very difficult to eradicate.
Virginia creeper isn’t considered invasive. It’s native to the southeast but is on the monitor list for noxious weeds in temperate Washington. If you do decide to plant Virginia creeper vine, keeping it confined to a container or raised bed is best for controlling its aggressive spread.
- Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
- Silver lace vine (Polygonum aubertii)
- Scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)
Kudzu
This vine can grow up to a foot long in a single day and has taken over entire forests.
Growing up in Georgia, the mere thought of planting kudzu is profane. This herbaceous supervillain was introduced to the U.S. in the 1930s and 50s as an ornamental and a solution for erosion control. If you haven’t read the story of how kudzu ate the South, I highly recommend a deep dive. This vine can grow up to a foot long in a single day and has taken over entire forests in my home state. It strangles and kills every tree, plant, or shrub in its path by quickly overtaking them.
If kudzu finds its way into your yard, you need to eradicate it as quickly as it arrives. To my horror, I’ve heard rumors of people growing kudzu for its medicinal or edible benefits. Not only is this environmentally unsound, to say the least, but it’s also against the law in many U.S. states.
- Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans)
- Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla)
- Passionflower (Passiflora lutea)
- Native bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
Oriental Bittersweet
This woody vine can climb trees upward of 90 feet, strangling them while competing for light.
Introduced to the U.S. in 1860 from Southeast Asia as a fast-growing ornamental, this species quickly spread to the rest of the U.S., hybridizing with native bittersweet and disrupting the ecosystem. This woody vine can climb trees upward of 90 feet, strangling them while competing for light. They produce red berries in winter, which can be a welcome sight after deciduous trees have dropped their leaves.
One way to differentiate the Oriental bittersweet from the American variety is the location of their berries. American bittersweet produce berries only at the ends of the vines, while the berries of Celastrus orbiculatus will appear along the whole stem. Oriental bittersweet also has rounded leaves, while those of American bittersweet are pointed.
If you find oriental bittersweet in your yard, remove it by cutting it down every time it reappears or through herbicide use – it’s aggressive. And don’t be tempted to bring the berries of the oriental bittersweet inside for fall decor; this helps spread its seed.
- American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
- Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans)
- Strawberry bush (Euonymus americanus)
Porcelain Berry
These berries are a favorite of birds who eat them and then drop the seed elsewhere, spreading the species.
Related to native grapes, do not be misled by this invasive’s pretty pastel berries. This species produces its berries in late summer and fall. These berries are a favorite of birds who eat them and then drop the seed elsewhere, spreading the vine. The porcelain berry is fast-growing and aggressive. Much like oriental bittersweet and kudzu, it can quickly climb and overtake natives, with vines reaching over 25 feet long.
This species prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade and a variety of soil types. While banned in Massachusetts and considered invasive in other states, it’s still sold as an ornamental. To help control its spread, remove the plant or at least pinch off its flowers and berries when they appear in late summer.
- Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)
- Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
- Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
Common Periwinkle
It’s a sprawling groundcover that forms dense mats and shades out anything growing beneath them.
The common periwinkle, also known as Bowles periwinkle, is by far not the most harmful species on this list. However, it is still an aggressive, non-native species that needs to be controlled. It’s a sprawling groundcover that forms dense mats and shades out anything growing beneath them. Though each individual only has a spread of about 18 inches, the plant sets new roots from each stem and propagates itself. This makes Vinca minor particularly aggressive.
Its pretty periwinkle blue flowers attract birds, which drop their seed in new, unwanted places and can damage nearby ecosystems. While it’s great as a fast-growing groundcover, there are much better options available.
Sweet Autumn Clematis
Like other flowering invasive vines, its seeds are picked up by wind and carried to other areas.
It’s easy to see why Clematis ternifolia became popular as an ornamental. It’s a vigorous grower and blooms with white, showy, fragrant flowers in late summer. Like other flowering invasive vines, its seeds are picked up by wind and carried to other areas. It quickly takes over trellises, fences, trees, and shrubs. To add insult to injury, it’s also highly poisonous.
It’s considered invasive in over ten eastern U.S. states, from Florida to New Jersey. Despite this, it’s still widely available in nurseries. There is really no need to consider sweet autumn clematis—there are plenty of beautiful alternatives.
- Virgin’s-bower (Clematis virginiana)
- Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
- Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Key Takeaways
You may have noticed a pattern among many of these species. Many are beautiful and fast-growing! But what makes them vigorous can also make them invasive. Before planting vines or groundcovers in your yard, be sure to double-check whether they are considered invasive in your area.
If you do find yourself with these species in your yard, check with your local jurisdiction. Some local governments offer assistance with removing some invasives.
