Common Name: Peppervine Scientific Name: Nekemias arborea Order: Rhamnales Family: Vitaceae USDA Wetland Classification: Facultative Ecology & Description Peppervine is a deciduous woody vine that can also develop into a bushy shrub. The leaves of this plant are alternate and pinnately compound. They are 10-25 cm long and wide and can be either twice or three times divided. The leaflets are 2-5 cm long and 1-3 cm wide. They can be oval or diamond-shaped and have large serrated teeth. Peppervine flowers form in flat clusters that are 2-4 cm wide, each with five yellow-green petals. Berries are spherical, 6-10 mm wide, and turn from green to shiny red or black. Peppervine will spread via vine growth or by animals eating the seeds. Habitat Peppervine is most commonly found in wet to moist bottomland forests, along streams and rivers. It has also been known to grown in moist forest soils. Distribution The range of Peppervine stretches from Texas to Florida, and southern Virginia and west Illinois and Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast. It is, however, rare in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Native/Invasive Status Peppervine is a native plant in the lower 48 states in the United States, as well as Puerto Rico. However, because of its growth behavior, it can be invasive. Wildlife Uses White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) will eat Peppervine foliage, but the plant is considered to be only a minor portion of their diet (2-5%). It only makes up 5-10% of the diet of small mammals. In the summer, however, the fruits are eaten by many wildlife species, especially raccoons (Procyon lotor). Management & Control Techniques If unwanted peppervine is growing in a small area, hand-pulling the plants is the best option for removal. This should be done in the spring before the plants have the chance to flower and produce seed. Herbicide is another option, especially if the taproot is deep or the area is large. Regardless of the method of control, it should be done consistently over the course of two years to ensure it is completely removed from the area. References Kimbrough, M. G. M. 2008. Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea). Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. Online. <http://aggie- horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2008/jan08/Peppervine.html> Accessed 11 August 2015. Miller, J. H. and K. V. Miller. 1999. Forest plants of the southeast and their wildlife uses. The University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA. 454 pp. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service. 2015. Online. <http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=NEAR5> Accessed 11 August 2015. This document was authored by Dr. Heidi Adams, School of Forestry, Louisiana Tech University, August 2015. .