PlantFiles Pictures: Greenbrier, Cowvine (Smilax bona-nox), 1 by lisacrooknaranj

lisacrooknaranj wrote:
we have just started dealing with this plant. I started trimming cedar trees at the back of the property to discern how many live oak were back there. Turns out there are a lot of oaks and this vine has made a true jungle back there. I have experienced all the same injuries, frustrations and have also considered living with them and fighting them on a yearly basis. Our space, however, is much too wonderful to concede to this savage opponent. I had to cut all of the vines off at the ground to clear the brush and trim the cedars. After raking the ground to remove the dried thorny cuttings of the cow vine, all the new growth is apparent. I have found that wherever there are several vines growing together is typically where the root ball is. If you uncover the root ball and spray it with Round Up, it seems to kill the root ball. Killing the root ball does not necessarily kill the tubers, but it does slow their progress until you can dig them up. I have also tried spraying the vines at the root after removing the dirt from around the base of the vine. It appears to kill the vine from the bottom up. If you spray the young vines before they develop their thorns, the Roundup kills them. I am in the process of digging up the dead root balls and find that some of the large tubers do run deeply into the ground. I am spraying the tubers as soon as I cut the root ball loose while they are still fresh. I have sent photos of some of the rootballs, etc to the website. My mother, who is a licensed Master Gardner and is a successful produce farmer as well, recommends that I try Bayer Brush Killer, with extreme caution, as it may kill the trees if it gets into their roots. That will be a last resort.