Glen Payne, Urban Horticulture Agent, Beaufort County
Vines are twisting and turning this summer angling to find just the right amount of sunlight and companion plants to make reaching new heights possible to set aerial seedpods. There are several vines throughout the Savannah River Valley that can be seen while driving along roads, sitting on the back porch, or taking a stroll along a shady woodland edge. Some vines that may be seen are native and others are invasive. https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/an-introduction-to-native-plants-for-sc-landscapes/
Vines can spread by twining and tendrils or adventitious roots that form along stems, nodes, & crowns attaching to supports. Trees, arbors, & trellises are just a few examples of supports that vines may grow on. Vines may even produce tendrils and grow on themselves increasing the tightness around their own stems pulling up higher and reaching another object to continue climbing upward. Growing higher assists, the vines getting into a position to intercept as much sunlight as possible, to fruit, and set seeds. Fruit & seeds high in tree canopies have a better chance of seed dispersal over a much wider area. It also increases the chance that birds will eat fruit high in trees free from predators and disperse seeds far away from where they were eaten. Examples of native vines in the South Carolina low country are: American wisteria, Carolina jessamine, coral honey suckle, crossvine, Maypops (passionflower), poison ivy, trumpet creeper, & Virginia creeper. https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/vine-selections-for-land
Invasive vines like kudzu, “the vine that ate the south,” can be seen left over from being initially planted to help prevent erosion, providing forage for livestock, & shade for porches in the south. English ivy, Chinese & Japanese wisteria, Japanese honeysuckle, & multiflora rose are examples of plants that were used for their appealing flowers, fragrance, and adaptability in garden design in the past and have now become invasive, negatively impacting the low country ecosystem and native plants. Vines, whether they be native or invasive, are one of nature’s interesting adaptive curiosity of clingy climbers that takes us further on our plant journey and provides a great reason to get outside and explore.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
