The presence of an invasive weed originated in Eurasia, known as the Dog Strangling Vine, has been verified in the counties of Haldimand/Brant.
If found on your property officials are asking residents to up from the root and destroy them.
It proliferated in the southern USA but was noticed in Ontario in the mid-1800’s. Lately it has found a resurgence in Southwestern Ontario but is ls found in southern Quebec.
The plant can produce up to 2,400 seeds per square metre. The seeds are easily spread by the wind, and new plants can grow from root fragments, making it difficult to destroy. The vine has invaded ravines, hillsides, fence lines, stream banks, roadsides and utility corridors. Dog-strangling vine is also found in prairies, alvars (limestone plains), plantations of pine trees and natural forests.
According to a media release distributed by the Province of Ontario, “Dog-strangling vine forms dense stands that overwhelm and crowd out native plants and young trees, preventing forest regeneration.
Colonies form mats of interwoven vines that are difficult to walk through and interfere with forest management and recreational activities.
Leaves and roots may be toxic to livestock. Deer and other browsing animals also avoid dog-strangling vine, which can increase grazing pressure on more palatable native plants.
The vine threatens the monarch butterfly, a species at risk in Ontario. The butterflies lay their eggs on the plant, but the larvae are unable to complete their life cycle and do not survive.”
Please contact the Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711.
