Persicaria perfoliate

This invasive vine, also known as the mile a minute weed, Asian tearthumb, or devil tail is all over Long Island including the Town of Southampton. Persicaria perfoliate is a vigorous, barbed vine that smothers other herbaceous plants, shrubs and even trees by growing over them. Growing up to six inches per day, mile-a-minute weed forms dense mats that cover other plants and then stresses and weakens them through smothering and physically damaging them. This bright green vine originated in East Asia and took hold after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 when the water spread its seeds.

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has helped towns and cities to improve quality of life all over the world and has donate $183,000 to the Town of Southampton to help with removal of this vine.

Bamboo

What used to be viewed as a landscape problem solver, bamboo has become public nuisance number one.   Bamboo grows quickly and forms a dense screen and can reach 40 feet or higher.  There are two categories of bamboo plants; running and clumping. Running bamboo is the one to avoid. As it spreads and can invade a neighbor’s yard, driveways sidewalks and can get totally out of control.  Clumping bamboo is not as aggressive and is considered much less invasive.

The only way to “contain” running bamboo is to erect a bamboo barrier which is heavy plastic shield that you bury in the ground.

Several years ago, towns such as the Towns of Brookhaven, Huntington and Babylon imposed restrictions on bamboo making it illegal to plant or replant bamboo and even imposing fines. New York State currently bans two varieties of invasive bamboo — golden bamboo and yellow groove bamboo. They can no longer be sold, imported, purchased, transported, introduced or propagated in New York State.