Chinese Yam, oriental bittersweet, and black or pale swallow-wort, oh my.

What do all these plants have in common? They are all invasive vines that have been found in Cass County.

Chinese yam is a twining vine that has unique spade-shaped leaves, inconspicuous flowers, and small “air potatoes” that can be found on the vine. While this plant does have an edible tuber, it can be buried up to 1 meter deep. Though the leaves may look like field bindweed, Chinese yam lacks the showy white flowers.

Oriental bittersweet is a vine that can girdle trees and suck out the nutrients, eventually killing the tree. The leaves are variable in shape, but are always toothed and often slightly glossy. Oriental Bittersweet has bright orange roots and red berries clustered at where the leaves meet the stem, which can persist through the winter.

Last, but not least, there is pale or black swallow-wort. This plant is a danger to pollinators due to a milkweed-like seedpods on the vine. Butterflies will lay their eggs on the vine, but when the eggs hatch the larvae cannot feed off the pod.

These vines are identifiable by their small flowers found along the plant and have small shiny oval to heart shaped pointed opposite leaves. The roots of the swallow-wort are also toxic to mammals.

County residents who believe they have one or more of these vines growing on their property may contact Kimberly Barton at the Cass County Conservation District, at (269) 445-8641 ext. 5, or Kimberly.barton@macd.org.

She can help you identify the plant and help you develop a management plan for these pesky plants. Invasive species are a nuisance to deal with, but when caught early, eradication and management are easy to implement.

The SWxSW Corner CISMA is a grant-funded organization working to help land owners, local governments, and concerned citizens understand and manage the invasive species threats in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties. People may contact the CISMA Coordinator Eleanor Serocki at (269) 657-4030 ext 5 or at eleanor.serocki@macd.org. The CISMA is funded in part by the Michigan Invasive Species Grant Program, through the Departments of Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, and Agriculture and Rural Development.