Southwest Florida has many types of invasive vines, and being able to identify and remove them is key, especially in a forested system. One such vine that is prolific here at ECHO North America is the Ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis). The Ivy gourd grows too well in Florida (and Hawaii) and, if left alone, can easily smother cultivated plants. I have seen it climb banana stalks and create a dense canopy between the leaves. (Notice in the photo below, the Ivy gourd hanging down along the right side of the sign.)
Fortunately, Ivy gourd is relatively easy to remove by hand, as long as one is diligent about scouting and removing vines as soon as they pop up.
Ivy gourd has the classic ivy looking leaves which are crisp and smooth. The young vine is delicate and light green, and it climbs with the help of little tendrils, although they are neither numerous nor strong.
When the plant is mature the vine becomes thick and woody. It has a distinctive, mottled-white coloring. Being in the Cucurbitaceae family, this is a characteristic that is shared with the Luffa gourd.
As well as climbing upwards, Ivy gourd will send out runners. Any node along the runners which are in contact with the ground can grow roots, which offers the plant multiple sources of nutrition. Additionally, if the entire runner is not removed, the plant will continue to proliferate. The photo below shows a runner node which has rooted into the ground and become a distinctive plant.
Much of the invasiveness of this vine comes from the fact that it propagates so easily, as seen with the runners. Any piece of the vine that is dropped or left in the ground will begin to sprout. This can result in a very thick root system supporting small sprouts, that can very quickly become large and vigorous.
As an example of the flexibility of the Ivy gourd, these photos contain visual samples of the different methods of propagation that the vine employs. In the photo below, the samples on the right and the left demonstrate the ability to root and sprout from the runner nodes, while the two samples in the center are seedling sprouts.
In the photo below, the four samples on the left came from individual vine pieces that were left in contact with the soil. The large sample on the right was a root that was not pulled up when its sprouts were removed, which allowed it to become better established and push new sprouts.
I have found that the most efficient way to combat this vine is to frequently go on scouting walks looking for the climbing vines or sprouts that are beginning to trail up the surrounding foliage. Once I have identified the vine, I trace it back to its root source and remove it or follow along the runner pulling up roots at the nodes as I go. Cutting back the surrounding foliage is also a good way to clear an area of the vine, as any little piece will sprout and show itself before the surrounding foliage grows back.
Have you encountered this vine before? What methods have you implemented to combat it?
