Can Some one assist me please i have a vine that i have been trying to Kill in my roses all summer long. and while pruning my roses today, i noticed that the vine has now produced berries, so now it really has my curiosity as compared to being a pain in the posterior. So i guess at this point depending on what it is, i may be moving the roses for room for the vine or maybe looking for a way to kill it once and for all ... it is kind of pretty for color in October. here is a picture of my curiosity.
Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) It is a species of vine in the potato genus Solanum, family Solanaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere, including North America, where it is an invasive problem weed. It occurs in a very wide range of habitats, from woodlands to scrubland, hedges and marshes. Bittersweet Nightshade is a semi-woody herbaceous perennial vine, which scrambles over other plants, capable of reaching a height of 4 m where suitable support is available, but more often 1-2 m high. The leaves are 4-12 cm long, roughly arrowhead-shaped, and often lobed at the base. The flowers are in loose clusters of 3-20, (1-1.5 cm) across, star-shaped, with five purple petals and yellow stamens an style pointindg forward. The fruit is an ovoid red berry about 1 cm long, soft and juicy, poisonous to humans and livestock but edible for birds, which disperse the seeds widely. The berries of this plant undergo an interesting color transformation during their growing season. Beginning as a green berry, they change first to yellow, then to orange, and finally mature to red. Making the plant even more colorful is the fact that not all the berries reach these color stages at the same time. Consequently, it is not uncommon to see a bittersweet nightshade plant bearing berries of three or four different colors. As with most Solanum species, the foliage is also poisonous to humans. So all parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and most animals. (from Solanum dulcamara)
Treeguy, thanks for the info if that be the case do you know what would be the best way of Killing it ? Because as i said I've been trying to kill it all summer long.
Info on removing it: If you have only a few plants, you may want to simply dig them out. To do this, locate the main stem of each nightshade plant and dig down around it to remove as much of the root system as possible. If you see new plants sprouting after digging out the original, remove them as soon as you see them. A non-selective herbicide containing glyphosate (Ortho Kleenup or Monsanto Roundup, among others) will also provide good control. When using glyphosate be sure to cover the plant thoroughly with the herbicide, but don't soak the soil. Glyphosate will damage or kill almost any green, living plant tissue it contacts, so be careful to avoid surrounding vegetation, if possible. Wipe, mop, or spray the chemical directly on the nightshade. Apply glyphosate when the wind is calm and temperatures are in the 60-80 degree range, and no rain is expected for at least 24 hours. Yellowing and wilting should start within 3-10 days after applying the herbicide. It may take several applications, 10-14 days apart, to complete the job. Other herbicides labeled for use on unwanted woody weeds include 2,4-D and triclopyr. These ingredients may be in products called brush killers. These also are absorbed through green plant tissue. They can be applied the same way as glyphosate. One difference between them and glyphosate is their selectivity--they are much less damaging to grass. Another difference is that they persist longer in the soil. As with any pesticide, read and follow label directions carefully.
Thank You very much for the info ... although i do for see this as a continuing problem because it is intertwined with my roses. thank you again
