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Mile-a-Minute Vine - Overview

Mile-a-minute vine is native to East Asia. It was introduced to the United States accidentally: it arrived at a nursery in York County, Pennsylvania with a shipment of Rhododendrons.

Mile-a-minute vine, as the name suggests, can grow very rapidly: up to 15 cm/day. It has thorny stems which can create an impenetrable wall. The barbs lead to its other common name, devil’s tear-thumb. The vine grows over anything in its path including trees and Phragmites.

Mile-a-minute vine has shallow roots and is fairly easy to hand-pull. The seeds appear to be viable for up to 5 years, so sites targeted for removal need to be monitored regularly to remove new seedlings before they have a chance to grow.

Known mile-a-minute vine locations in New York are limited to Long Island and the Lower Hudson Valley, at this point in time. Mile-a-minute vine is listed as a Noxious Weed in Pennsylvania.

Early detection and rapid response of mile-a-minute infestations in the Hudson Valley and Long Island could make a significant difference for the rest of the state. Please contact IPC if you know of additional mile-a-minute locations in New York and/or you are willing to help some local volunteers with their removal efforts.