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confused about vines

18 years ago

I want to encourage native vines in a wet meadow. What I don't understand is whether crossvine, riverbank grape, bur cucumber and hops (Hops is not for wet areas anyway?) are actually native, or are simply being marketed that way.

I've checked state and federal lists, and many of the native plant sites on the web, but it seems like conflicting information.

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Comments (5)

Iris GW
18 years ago
Crossvine is native, not sure about the other two. It is best to look up things based on their scientific name, that way you are checking the exact plant.

By the way, will these vines have something to grow on in the meadow? A fence or the occasional tree?

One site that I like to use to check for native status is the USDA Plants database. You can see in the linked page for crossvine that in the upper left corner there is a field called "native status" - the "N" stands for native.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bignonia capreolata on USDA Plants database
northeastwisc
18 years ago
Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia) and Bur Cucumber (Sicyos angulatus) are native to the Great Lakes.
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=VITRIP
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=SICANG

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) is a native southern U.S. vine; hardiness might be an issue. Hops (Humulus spp.) can be really confusing, there are both native and non-native types. You would have to do more research on them.
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Your plant looks like it is all new growth. Each vine is referred to as a stem and emerges separately from the crown of the plant. Pinching out the growing point of a stem encourages more lateral growth from two points then which looks like it is more stems but it is the same stem with more growth points. With three stems from the crown it has a good start. The first year It is in the ground most keep those three stems cut, pruned, low to encourage root establishment and more stems to emerge from the crown. Often there is not much new growth but the plant is working hard below ground. You might cut it back further 8-10 inches so you can see what is happening or leave it the height it is and continue to prune any single stem growth off this year. Early next spring cut it back low again. Then if you see more stems growing from the crown let it grow and bloom. If still only three stems emerge repeat this year's procedure. After blooming in your area you can cut the stems low so they grow and maybe bloom again. The third year in the ground most clematis have a burst of growth and you can let it grow with just pinching growth points to get that side growth. Note that pruning and pinching are different procedures for different purposes. Next spring you will see the old dried up looking stems which are referred to as old wood/old growth. With Pruning 2 clematis once these clematis are established (usually the third year in the ground) you will look at the old growth and see where there are green leaf buds coming and prune back to the highest part of the stem that has those leaf buds. Then cut off anything above that. Or cut it lower to shape it if it is getting too unruly or tall. If you cut it to 12 inches you may not get the early spring bloom and a chance for a second bloom. But you will still get a full bloom just a bit later. In my Z:4 garden most P:2 clematis die close to the ground because of our harsh winters. They still grow well just bloom a bit later. We rarely get a second bloom as the frosts come early though there may be a bloom or two throughout the later summer and early fall. Hope this helps ease your stress over growing clematis. Patience is the hardest part of establishing the new plants.
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Hi june, I am on about 4 acres and there are woods on most sides of the property and only one neighbor on one side that I can see and its fenced there lol. So escapee passiflora and other vines aren't a problem. In fact, there are "wild /rogue" trumpet vines, japanese honeysuckle, and carolina jessamine growing all crazy out in the woods and up various trees on the back of the property. I have a lot of gulf frits so they do keep the escaped (from pots) passies under control here too. For additional control, I grow most of my passiflora in pots and use 3 tall bamboo poles tied together at the top in the large pots. Then I use fishing line and black electrical tape to create a little trellis for them to attach their tendrils onto between the bamboo poles. Then I position the pots up against a fence or tree and let them climb that way once they grow over the bamboo poles. When it freezes, I cut them back to the length of the bamboo pole/trellis and move the pots into the gh because some of the passies I grow will freeze back badly and some are tropical so gh culture during the winter is best for those. ~SJN
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razorback33
18 years ago
When dealing with common names of plants, it is often difficult to determine if they are Native or Non-Native, as the same common name is sometimes applied to many different species. The only way to know for sure, is to use the scientific name (Genera+specific epithet) in your research for native species present in your area.
The Wetland status indicator for a given species can vary from region to region and sometimes within a region of the country. Native plants are often very adaptable to environmental conditions and can be found in wetlands and uplands within a given geographical area.
You might also be aware that some jurisdictions prohibit the sale and distribution of some vines/plants, although native to the area, because they are considered invasive and/or a noxious weed.
Here are the species listed by the USDA as native in MI:
Bignonia capreolata (Crossvine) Wetlands 67%-99% of observations.
Vitis riparia (Riverbank grape) Wetlands 67%-99%, usually toward lower end of probability.
Sicyos angulatus (Oneseed Bur cucumber) Wetlands 67%-99%, usually toward lower end of probability;
Humulus lupulus, var.? (Common hop) Upland 67%-99%, with notation citing limited data available. There are 2 varieties documented in MI, one var.(lupuloides) is native, the other var.(lupulus) is an introduction from Europe. They may have intergraded, so that identification might be difficult.
The Wetlands indicator can indicate either, a permanently wet/flooded area or a dry area that is occasionally flooded.
Good luck with your project!
Rb
ladyslppr
18 years ago
As northeastwisc wrote, Crossvine is a U.S native, but probably not native to MI. I am not sure exactly how far north wild Crossvine occurs in the midwest, but in the east, Crossvine gets only about as far as Maryland, I think.
pufftrinket
Original Author
18 years ago
Oh, I forgot about the scientific name. *embarrassed grin* And the PLANTS info was really helpful. I hadn't noticed the native indicator. I'll just order seeds with the proper scientific name, and if the catalogue only uses the common name, maybe I can take that as a warning sign.

There won't be fences, but there are a several brushpiles and piles of wood I thought would like to have some vines over them- could make good habitat for turtles, etc. It's seasonally flooded, and I'd like to keep the piles from drifting away. Trying to avoid having to burn them.

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