Clearing Wintercreeper from your Garden

With spring coyly peaking around the corner, our minds are on the new gardens we’ll be creating this season. But for most garden DIYers in the Cincinnati area, creation must be preceded by destruction. Destruction of invasive species, that is.

Non-native plants that have a harmful and disruptive effect on their new environment are referred to as invasive species. These plants cannot simply be outcompeted by natives. They must be fully removed from your yard before you begin planting. Some of the most common invasives we deal with here in Southwest Ohio are Amur Honeysuckle, English Ivy, and Wintercreeper.

Wintercreeper is an evergreen vine

that has been widely planted as a groundcover because it is low maintenance and grows well in the shade. However, it has no ecological value, spreads well-beyond its planted area, and can damage trees and structures when it climbs. Removing it can be tricky because of those thick, waxy evergreen leaves.

For small areas, good old fashioned hard work is your best strategy.

Begin at the edge of the bed and start pulling up vines, careful not to leave any pieces behind. You can roll them up ahead of you onto a tarp, then be sure to throw them in the garbage- not the compost. This is an excellent time of year for hand removal because the ground is soft and moist and most of the garden is still dormant. I know you were looking for an excuse to get outside anyway!

If hand-pulling feels overwhelming or isn’t feasible, you can deploy a strategic use of herbicide. Sometimes, herbicide is the best tool in an ecological gardener’s tool belt. Much like a course of antibiotics can heal an infection, a dose of herbicide properly applied helps restore balance and returns the land to the native plants and animals who need it to survive.

There are a couple different recommended methods for applying herbicide to wintercreeper:

For areas without any other desirable plants, spray with Crossbow, Brush Killer, or any other triclopyr solution. This is heavy duty stuff so always wear long pants and gloves, and only spray on dry and windless day. Work backwards so you aren’t stepping through herbicide. Late fall and early spring are prime seasons for this method.

I really only recommend triclopyr in areas without any plants you want to protect because it does seem to travel around and cause damage to nearby trees and shrubs- even during dormancy. For a slightly more delicate approach, take a string trimmer and buzz down the first layer of wintercreeper, exposing the stems. Then spray with 20% glyphosate with 0.5% nonionic surfactant to help it stick. Again, proper safety and application rules apply, and try to spray on the warmest sunniest late winter day you can.

You may have to treat a few times to get it all. And remember to be patient, it will take a few weeks to see results. That’s why, if possible, hand pulling is still the best method for dealing with Wintercreeper. I know everyone wants a secret hack, but there’s no substitution for hard work.