Q: We have a vine (not kudzu) that has killed a dogwood tree in our yard and is about to do the same to several magnolias. The leaves look like grape leaves (but smaller) and it has small blue-black berries.

A:  Can you say Ampelopsis brevipendiculata maximowiczii? That’s seventeen syllables! Now you know why the common name is porcelain vine. Don’t the blue berries look like porcelain to you?

The porcelain vine is a pernicious pest in most spots. It is a vigorous grower and birds spread the seeds far and wide.

I’ve seen the variety ‘Elegans’ sold in nurseries. It has green leaves splashed with pink and white but it is just as invasive as its parent.

Cut the vine at its base and paint the stump with glyphosate (Roundup, etc). The roots will sprout again nearby so keep an eye out for them and treat them similarly until all are dead.

See Porcelain Vine

porcelain vine