November Bittersweet Journal

November brings a last chance to spot oriental bittersweet because these invasive vines typically hold onto leaves longer than the trees they are strangling. That makes it easy to spot the bittersweet leaves as they turn yellowish green, on a tree that is otherwise bare. Now is a good time to get out and pull the vines, or cut and treat them if you prefer using an herbicide to kill the root system over the winter.

It's also easy to spot yellowing bittersweet leaves against white pines and other evergreens.

November is also a good time to walk any wooded areas to pull or cut and treat small bittersweet vines because they are among the few plants holding leaves. That means they stand out and are easy to spot.

Oriental bittersweet is a perennial so don't make the mistake of thinking the vines "die" in the winter. They're quite alive, with nutrients pulled down the the root system and waiting for spring so they can continue their tree-killing mission.



Small oriental bittersweet vines are easy to spot in early November so this is a good time to
walk your property and pull or cut and treat vines as needed.