Black dog-strangling vine, black swallowwort Vincetoxicumnigrum (L.) Moench
Appearance
Vincetoxicum nigrum is an herbaceous, twining, unbranched, perennial vine which can grow up to 6.5 ft. (2 m) in length.
Foliage
Leaves are opposite, dark green, oval, and shiny with entire margins. Leaves are from 3-4 in. (7.6-10.2 cm) long and 2-3 in. (5.1-7.6 cm) wide. A short petiole attaches the leaf to the vine.
Flowers
Clusters of 6-10 flowers bloom from June to September. Five lobed dark purple corollas are approximately 0.25 in. (0.6 cm) across and covered with short white hairs on the upper surface.
Fruit
Fruit are pods, similar to milkweed pods, which are slender, 2-3 in. (5.1-7.6 cm) long and split to reveal small seeds with tufts of white hairs. The hairs allow the seeds to be readily dispersed by wind. Plants have rhizomes that sprout new plants.
Ecological Threat
Vincetoxicum nigrum readily invades upland areas. It tolerates a wide range of light and moisture conditions and can be found invading a wide variety of upland habitat types. It is native to Europe. The history of its introduction is uncertain, but it may have escaped from a botanical garden.