Every year around this time, a mysterious vine appears on the borders of my yard. It's bright green and fast-growing. Typically, I cut it back so it doesn't grow over my bushes. I have no idea where it comes from, if it was planted by my house's former residents or if it grows wild. Here it is growing on the fence at the bottom of the yard.



Close-up.



Does anyone know what this vine is? Is is an invasive species I should dig up and destroy, or just a slightly-annoying Spring visitor?

11 comments

1. Kirsi on 3/09/2009 06:16:00 PM

   kudzu?

    
2. Anonymous on 3/09/2009 07:12:00 PM

   we have these too, not sure. theyre always gone by winter.
   im in WLA.

    
3. Audrey on 3/09/2009 07:36:00 PM

   Hmmmm... I don't think its kudzu. The leaves don't look right, and, from what I can tell, kudzu grows mostly in the Southeastern U.S.

    
4. Sarah on 3/09/2009 07:38:00 PM

   It looks like grape vines to me?

    
5. Anonymous on 3/09/2009 08:39:00 PM

   Have you ever seen it flower? It looks like some kind of passion flower vine

    
6. Eric Thomason on 3/09/2009 11:45:00 PM

   Bad news - this vine is a manroot or wild cucumber. It's native but invasive in the garden. It will smother your other plants and it creates potato sized spiny seed pods. When it dries out in late spring it is very hard to clean up - the vine just breaks when you give it the slightest tug and the pods become very sharp to handle even with leather gloves.
   
   The only way to get rid of it completely is to dig out the tuberous root which can be very large (hence the name) We have about 5 growing at our place right now and although I don't have time to dig out the root, I make the rounds and clean up the vines in an attempt to keep it in check before the pods appear.

    
7. Eric Thomason on 3/09/2009 11:48:00 PM

   Oh, I forgot paste this link:
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Manroot

    
8. Audrey on 3/10/2009 11:52:00 AM

   Thanks Eric! Very helpful info. Now that you mention the seed pods, I remember them from previous years. I'll be sure to at least clear the vines before they go to seed.
   
   Mystery solved!

    
9. Anonymous on 3/10/2009 06:38:00 PM

   It's also known as Indian Marble. I think because they used to use the seeds for games.

    
10. Anonymous on 3/11/2009 12:47:00 AM

    We have that too. The vine goes all the way up into the oak trees. We call the pods the devils ballsack.

     
11. Anonymous on 3/15/2009 08:16:00 PM

    my parents have a wild cucumber plant in their front yard in CA. it has plenty of space to grow without interfering with any other plants so they leave it and quite frankly, it's taken years for it to grow to any substantial size. they like how it looks when it's green in the summer. word or warning - as far as i know the "cucumbers" are poisonous so don't let your animals eat them. (the spiky pods)