Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - December 16, 2008
From: Montgomery, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants
Title: Ways of eliminating smilax bona-nox
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
How can I get rid of "smilax bona" or green briar vines besides digging them up one by one? I have been told by Harris County Ext. Office to just mow them.. Ha Ha Good luck with that. Is there any herbicide available to get rid of them more quickly and easily?ANSWER:
If it's any comfort to you, Smilax bona-nox (saw greenbrier) has been the bane of gardener's existence for a very long time. Smilax makes a thick, hardened root in which it stores water and nutrients. Hand pulling Cat-brier usually only breaks off the top-growth which the root quickly replaces. Dig and destroy these root storage organs and you will destroy the plant. This is never easy and is often impractical or impossible. Cutting new growth a few inches above the soil and painting the remaining stub with an herbicide labeled for that purpose is the most common control method.
Unfortunately, persistance is also required, there is no quick fix. This plant has long, large underground root systems to tubers that can be as big as a potato. Getting to that with herbicide is very difficult. However, speaking from experience, we moved onto a property that had been farm land with large oaks that were infested with the briers. Over a period of years, just digging them out, cutting them off, a certain amount of cursing, we did finally eradicate them.
More Invasive Plants Questions
Identification of mystery tree in Huntington Beach, CA
March 25, 2015 - Have a "tree" that has grown from about 18" tall to about 10' tall in a little over a years time. It has a central trunk that is about 3/4" in diameter at it's largest. It has short thin branch...
view the full question and answer
Destroying seeds of Chinaberry tree
October 23, 2007 - I have a "chinaberry" tree in my yard, and while I understand that it is an invasive plant to Texas, I was hoping to save the large mature tree. As an effort to be more responsible I have been coll...
view the full question and answer
Non-native, invasive Asiatic Jasmine from Austin
October 25, 2012 - Is Trachelospermum asiaticum considered a native texas plant? Is there an example growing at the Center that can be viewed?
view the full question and answer
Non-native, invasive bermudagrass from Memphis TN
August 17, 2012 - I live in central Memphis and have well-drained clay soil. I have converted much of the front yard from turf grass to beds of native plants, which survive our hot humid without supplemental watering e...
view the full question and answer
Runaway Agave Americana from Pacific Palisades CA
April 29, 2013 - We live near open space on Santa Monica Mountain State Park. Our Association planted non-native, invasive Agave Americanas all over the adjacent slopes, and we are trying to get the exploding pups and...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |