I dig so much of this out and don't know what to call it. We sometimes call it "devil vine" or "devil weed" but there are (of course) other plants with that common name, and IMO none as devilish as this stuff.


Got a good chunk out today.




It has wicked thorns and very tightly coiled tendrils which it uses to attach to any and everything including other plants:


Deep rooted, the roots branch off from these nodules which are usually at least six inches below soil surface and often deeper:


Those are respectable size nodules but I've seen them two and three times as large (like maybe an inch and a half in diameter.)

I'm sure someone knows this one! It's pretty common in the Southeast.

Thanks in advance.

Looks like Smilax bona-nox, commonly called catclaw or cat brier


http://herbarium.biol.sc.edu/5...

Yes! Smilax it is; I knew I'd recognize the name from when I lived in this region before.

Catclaw is not a mean enough name but I am sure devil's claw is already taken.

Thanks!

It's commonly called greenbrier here in Texas. Noxious plant to deal with and really hard to eradicate. Catclaw here is a shrub - a really nasty shrub. I can see how this vine might be called that as well due to the shape of the 'claws'. I think in the old days in Arkansas, they made pipes out of the nodules. I've seen a couple of those pipes.

I think I'll go back to calling it devil weed because it is the very devil to weed out.

But knowing its real name is Smilax helps. And yeah, it's awful stuff. I mean, I'm sure it's of some use ... just hard to imagine what. And, not in my garden!

Saw Greenbrier (Smilax bona-nox) (Catbrier etc.) is awful ... grows wild here in Florida too. I've been attacked by those "claws" many times while trying to pull and dig it up! It's found in a lot of areas, especially in the south: http://plants.usda.gov/core/pr...

It is also called Bull Brier, which sounds meaner than cats claw.... The combination of spotted leaves and thorns is a "wish it were" dead give away.

Doesn't look like it's useful for anything, actually.

Bull brier is a name I also recall hearing, years ago.

Any one up for a snack?

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant...

It's "useful" for quite a number of things actually. In the spring, the tips of the shoots are edible, much like asparagus. A number of medicinal compounds have been derived from it and it's a great wildlife plant.

We relish eating these every spring. It's one of our favorite wild plants to eat.

Good to know!

The first site I looked at here didn't give it very high ratings as a wildlife plant, but on-the-ground observation probably has more accurate data.

No doubt if I were working with acreage instead of a backyard garden I'd be happier about its existence, but for me, it's just a PITA.

Smilax = smile as you take an axe to it.

greene said:Smilax = smile as you take an axe to it.

I wouldn't say it wasn't useful for anything, but it is a major nuisance and aggravation much of the time. The cattle do graze the tender new growth and will browze it when dry summer heat make lush grass scarce. Certainly the berries are wildlife food and a major means of its dispersal. It's also a safe haven cover for lots of animals - rabbits, fox, copperheads and rattlesnakes and less unpleasant snakes. I've seen birds nesting in it and taking active cover when a raptor flies over. But when it's growing where you don't want it, it's extremely hard to eradicate. I guess the argument could be made that it makes a nice living fence when it takes over a fence line while providing cover for wildlife, but it also makes a fence really hard to repair. Most of the time, I'd prefer a lot less than grows around here .

Thanks y'all

Kylaluaz= DEVIL WEED

We also call it "greenbriar" and grows mainly in the woods attaching itself to and climbing up trees and shrubs...