HOLDINGFORD — An invasive vine not seen in the United States in six decades was discovered along the Lake Wobegon Trail in Holdingford, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
University of Minnesota Extension Master Naturalist Sherry Kutter first spotted the vine, which has been identified as rough potato (Metaplexis japonica), a type of vining milkweed.
Rough potato is native to eastern Asia and has only been reported in North America in 1958 in cornfields near Iowa State University in Ames, where it is thought to have been part of a research project during World War II.
Stearns County Agricultural Inspector Bob Dunning mapped the vines and found the densest infestations along the South Two River near a baseball field.
The Stearns County parks department, Conservation Corps Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture have removed thousands of seedpods to prevent the infestation from spreading. A combination of herbicide treatment and manual removal over several years is expected to bring down the infestation.
"Rough potato is a very aggressive climber, and it has an amazing ability to completely cover other vegetation," Dunning stated in a release.
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There are no vining milkweeds native to Minnesota. If you see a vining milkweed, which has a distinctive milkweed seedpod, report it to the MDA’s Arrest the Pest line at arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us or 1-888-545-6684.
“While we may never know how rough potato got to Stearns County, we can be diligent so this and other invasive plants don’t spread throughout Minnesota,” said Monika Chandler, MDA invasive species specialist. “Seeds and plant parts like to hitch a ride so cleaning equipment, pets, and our clothes before leaving an area can help prevent the spread of unwanted plants.”
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Invasive vine unseen in U.S. in six decades discovered along Lake Wobegon Trail - SC Times
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