- Appearance
- Vincetoxicum nigrum is an herbaceous, twining, unbranched, perennial vine which can grow up to 6.5 ft. (2 m) in length.
- Foliage
- Leaves are opposite, dark green, oval, and shiny with entire margins. Leaves are from 3-4 in. (7.6-10.2 cm) long and 2-3 in. (5.1-7.6 cm) wide. A short petiole attaches the leaf to the vine.
- Flowers
- Clusters of 6-10 flowers bloom from June to September. Five lobed dark purple corollas are approximately 0.25 in. (0.6 cm) across and covered with short white hairs on the upper surface.
- Fruit
- Fruit are pods, similar to milkweed pods, which are slender, 2-3 in. (5.1-7.6 cm) long and split to reveal small seeds with tufts of white hairs. The hairs allow the seeds to be readily dispersed by wind. Plants have rhizomes that sprout new plants.
- Ecological Threat
- Vincetoxicum nigrum readily invades upland areas. It tolerates a wide range of light and moisture conditions and can be found invading a wide variety of upland habitat types. It is native to Europe. The history of its introduction is uncertain, but it may have escaped from a botanical garden.
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