exotic swallowwort
(Genus Vincetoxicum)
Overview
Several species of swallow-worts are herbaceous, perennial vines that invade natural areas in northeastern United States. Leaves are opposite, dark green, oval, and shiny with entire margins. Flowers occur in clusters and dark purple in color. Fruit are pods, similar to milkweed pods, that are slender and split to reveal small seeds with tufts of white hair. The hair allows the seeds to be readily dispersed by seeds. Swallow-worts invade a wide varierty of habitats including old fields, open woodlands, pastures, roadsides, and floodplains. It can rapidly overgrow native understory vegetation and small shrubs, forming dense mats which smother and kill other vegetation. Swallow-worts are native to Europe and were first introduced in the United States in the late 1800s as ornamentals.
Resources
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State List - This map identifies those states that list this species on their invasive species list or law. For more information, visit Invasive.org
Invasive Listing Sources
Taxonomic Rank
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Subclass: Asteridae |
| Order: Gentianales |
| Family: Asclepiadaceae |
| Genus: Vincetoxicum |
| Subject: exotic swallowwort |
Synonyms and Other Names
Other Common Names:
swallowwort