Oriental bittersweet, an extremely invasive vine from Asia, could become our milfoil on land, but we can prevent that by taking action now.

Recently, this newspaper ran the story, “Woman Works Hard to Eliminate Invasive Plant,” which provides great background. Just as milfoil clogs and destroys lakes and streams, bittersweet strangles perennials, shrubs and trees, eventually covering the land. The good news is that bittersweet spreads much more slowly than milfoil AND it is easy to kill.?

People sprung to action when milfoil appeared in our lakes, that’s what we need to do with bittersweet now.?While milfoil occurs in Maine’s public waters – lakes and rivers – bittersweet is found mostly on private land, your home and mine. Boat license fees supply funds to eradicate milfoil, but there’s no funding source for bittersweet, so it’s up to us.

For most homeowners, killing bittersweet is easy. You may notice a vine poking out from one of your bushes or climbing a tree. Locate where the vine emerges from the ground and cut it to within 1-2 inches from the ground. Using a small paintbrush, lightly smear full-strength Roundup on the cut top and around the stem. It will die and never come back. If it’s been growing for years, you’ll have to cut and paint multiple vines of various thicknesses as well as small seedlings. Simply cutting the vine doesn’t kill it – it will always come back and thank you for pruning it.

What if you’re not sure it’s bittersweet you’re seeing? Google it and find photos galore or visit Casco’s town website under Conservation Committee. Contact the committee for help identifying it and even killing it.

Besides being on individual homeowner properties, there’s a large infestation spread across an estimated 100 acres of privately owned forestland in Casco. It could well be the culprit that’s seeding the Lakes Region. Drive along Lord Road behind Parker Pond and you begin seeing thick, tall vines. When you get to the end, bittersweet is the ground cover, and vines reach close to the tops of the highest white pines. We are working on dealing with that. Town leaders also need to get involved because bittersweet is often found on town land. And foresters need to be aware that invasive plants find great opportunities in land that’s cleared.

A few prominent places I notice bittersweet: Consuming Pondicherry Park in Bridgton. Leaving Harrison on Route 117 toward Bridgton, there’s a mass from the ground to the top of a tall pole. After turning from Route 302 onto Route 121, it has completely consumed several large shrubs.

In the past decade or so, bittersweet has been slowly establishing itself. Luckily, it is still not visible as we drive along most roads, but over the past few years, it’s beginning to show itself in more places. I find it easily now on my way to most Lakes Region towns.?

We are so blessed here. Driving our country roads, we still see native wildflowers, ferns and grasses along the roadsides, graced by magnificent shrubs and tall, healthy trees. Birds, bees, butterflies and beneficial insects depend on these plants, and we depend on them. There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing a wide expanse of milkweed – the sole plant the monarch butterfly lays its eggs on – surrounded by goldenrod, asters and fire-red little bluestem grass this time of year. Along with our lakes and streams, this landscape is what makes the Lakes Region so special. The last thing we want is to see nothing but vines.?

There’s one more important thing homeowners can do. When you buy ornamental plants at local nurseries, ask if they are native (or Google the names). Japanese barberry, one of the most common plants I see at homes, is on Maine’s invasive species list, and rugosa rose is listed as potentially invasive. I also find burning bush in natural areas when I’m clearing out bittersweet. Winged euonymous and the groundcovers, periwinkle and ajuga, are also happy to move into natural areas.?Another plant that’s an obvious problem is Japanese knotweed, known locally as “bamboo,” but let’s first focus on ridding ourselves of bittersweet.

Rona Fried, Ph.D., is CEO of SustainableBusiness.com, which has been providing “Daily Green Business News and Green Jobs” for 17 years on the Web. Fried is also a member of Casco’s Conservation Committee.