Vine Removal on large property...

[pdqdl]

It is true that the Creeper and the P.I. are not as smothering as other varieties.

But they grow taller and faster than most vines or trees, and they will absolutely swarm a tree, especially the understory trees with perhaps a more dense canopy. I've seen plenty of them completely cover big junipers or eastern red cedars.



Here's an apple tree living in relative shade. Not sure which vine, though.

 

[Mad Professor]

I'm gonna disagree with this. Poison ivy (hateful as it is...kill 'em all!) and Virginia creeper cause NO damage to trees. They are just using the trunk for support. Grapevine will spread over the canopy and shade out trees as well as catch extra wind and ice breaking the tops out of trees.

Like you said though, they grow in the sunlight not a dark forest. Doesn't have to be an edge though...openings after a harvest or loss of trees to pest (EAB) allow enough sunlight through. Once established they can keep spreading.

I've seen trees taken over by PI like bittersweet does.

I nuke them both

 

[ATH]

Oh... quite true on junipers, etc...didn't even think of them. We are in hardwood forest country here, so don't care about those LOL! It'll just hang on the trunks and never spreads over the canopy like grape.

 

[MPF]

I'm gonna disagree with this. Poison ivy (hateful as it is...kill 'em all!) and Virginia creeper cause NO damage to trees. They are just using the trunk for support. Grapevine will spread over the canopy and shade out trees as well as catch extra wind and ice breaking the tops out of trees.

Like you said though, they grow in the sunlight not a dark forest. Doesn't have to be an edge though...openings after a harvest or loss of trees to pest (EAB) allow enough sunlight through. Once established they can keep spreading.

A badass vine I got is wisteria, and part of the reason I joined this forum..it's killed numerous limbs too high for a pole saw, actually the whole tree in many cases is finished.
My grapevines are dead, but still in tree. It's almost as if the wisteria killed them??

 

[ATH]

Yeah...wisteria, trumpet vine, oriental bittersweet are kinda localized problems. Japanese Honeysuckle and Kudzu are more widespread invasives.

 

[pdqdl]

I hear Kudzu is quite the problem. We get too cold in winter, so I've never seen the stuff except on vacation to the south.