Is There Any Way To Eradicate Honeyvine Milkweed? Or Do I Just Have To Resign Myself To Pulling It When I See It?

Question

We thought at first this vine was a gift to help us help the monarchs, but they really don’t do well with it, and I would rather have actual milkweed plants, but now this vine is all over our front beds and would entirely consume my rose bush if I let it. We tried digging the entire garden bed last summer, also to lay down hardware cloth to exclude the gophers, but that didn’t work for either purpose! I’m beginning to despair of even trying anymore… However I do have some helpful ideas for the gophers–what are my options against the honeyvine milkweed??? Please help! Even if the answer is simply: pull it when you see it. I just need to know if there’s anything else I can try. Thanks!

Answer 1

They are perennial weeds with long taproots, so pulling may not be effective if part of the root remains. But if you pull them when they first sprout, you can achieve some control. You also can use a chemical product that will kill the roots, such as glyphosate, but you can't let the spray touch your desirable plants. You can cut the vine off near the ground, then spray it (you can hold a piece of cardboard or plastic up to shield plants). Some people "paint" it on plants they want to get rid of in order to avoid the spray drift. Always remove flowers to avoid seed formation.

Here is a good article on how to control this type of weed:

https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/managing-weedy-vines

And this one you may have seen:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/ovgen/7-invasive-vines-to-avoid.htm