Thread: weird weed
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Old 29-07-2003, 11:22 PM
Dr Joseph Mendalbaum
 
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Default weird weed

Heidi wrote:

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, including
gardening time!

I have recently discovered a new weed sprouting from our neighbors yard
and invading our side of the fence. The weed/brush is a vine that
grows vigorously up our fence and attaches itself by little "feet".
These feet look like bird feet, brown with tiny fingers almost. When I
pull the vine off of the fence, the feet remain attached firmly to the
fence, and the vine pulls away from the feet.

Our neighbors do not pay any attention to their yard (the entire back
yard is a junk pile of weeds, brush, vines, discarded household items,
etc...)...lucky us...thank goodness we have a privacy fence. At any
rate, I don't think they will know the origin of the weed.

From my vague description, can anyone help me ID this invader?

As always, thanks for your insights and advice!


Heidi, this is the aggresive alien plant Hibocrispicus monoria which
is often commonly called "Mexican Fade Vine" and it is extremely
poisonous. Simply sniffing the fumes from the flowers can often
cause vomiting and dizziness. The flowers appear in late summer to
early fall and are often accompanied by a vile odor like that of
rotting eggs. It can grow up to fifty feet per year once established
and the weight of older vines often brings large trees to the ground
during times of significant rainfall. The best solution is to douse
the area around the base of the vine with soy milk as this will kill
the vine but will not harm any other plants. You might have to do
this upwards of twenty times to see results. A fun fact about this
vine is that if you hold your arm still against the vine for many
hours, you will slowly see the vine wrapping around your arm as it
likes warmth.

- Doctor Joseph Mendalbaum