Arrowhead vine and golden pothos management Stephen F. Enloe Invasive Plant Extension Specialist Golden pothos Arrowhead vine Araceae (Arum Family, AKA Aroids) • ~114 genera, ~3750 known species • Most famous for the titan arum • Amorphophallus titanium • Florida has it’s share of invaders from this family By Sailing moose - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70 296828 Araceae features • Monocots with a spadix • Strongly rhizomatous or with tubers • Many possess raphides • Many are thermogenic • Many stink • Insect pollinated What are raphides? • Calcium oxalate crystals • Cause painful stinging and burning to the mouth and throat • Sap may cause eye injury • Well known in history from Dieffenbachia aka “dumb cane” • Present in both Syngonium and Epipremnum Golden Pothos; devil’s ivy, Centipede tongavine Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engl. Cv Aureum • Originally endemic to Mo’orea from the Society Islands • Cultivated as an ornamental worldwide Society Islands • Cultivated for ornamental purposes by the 1940’s 6000 km • Introduced by USDA in 1974 Epipremnum pinnatum description Evergreen vine to ~20 m (~66 ft) tall, stems to 4 cm (2 in) diameter, numerous aerial roots which adhere to surfaces Leaves alternate and heart-shaped, entire (juvenile plants), generally under 20 cm (8 in) long Leaves irregularly pinnatifid on mature plants, up to 100 cm (39 in) long and 45 cm (18 in) broad; The flowers in a spathe up to 23 cm (9 in) long Flowering is extremely RARE Philodendron or Pothos? Pothos https://www.stamenandstemblog.com/blog/pothos-vs-philodendron Philodendron https://www.stamenandstemblog.com/blog/pothos-vs-philodendron Arrowhead vine; American evergreen Syngonium podophyllum Schott • Native to Latin America from Mexico to Bolivia • Cultivated and exported from many tropical countries • First herbarium specimen documented in Brevard county in 1966 Syngonium podophyllum characteristics Alternate, three-lobed, arrow-shaped leaves Mature leaves are compound, dark green, and segmented into three leaflets, developing with age to 5–9 leaflets. The central leaflet is the longest. • Very thick fleshy stems • Leaves and stems contain a milky sap 4-11 spikes (spadixes) from the leaf axils, each w/ 6–9 green tubular flowers, enclosed in a spathe (RARE) Fruits red to reddish-orange with many black or brown seeds Tony Pernas, USDI National Park Service, Bugwood.org Management options • Hand removal • Wear gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection • Stem fragmentation and disposal are issues due to ease of propagation • Cutting climbing stems in a poodle cut manner may not be enough • Available moisture may facilitate survival and rerooting • Biological controls not currently available • Prescribed fire will not be an option in many infestations Chemical Control • Cut stem (contractor efforts) • Triclopyr ester in oil (10-20%), treat both cut ends • Triclopyr amine (100%) in a jar, leave cut ends in herbicide for 1-5 minutes • Basal bark • Triclopyr ester in oil (10%) • Foliar • Triclopyr ester (3%) Recent contractor efforts: • Glyphosate (3%) + Carfentrazone (0.25%) • Escort Glyphosate (3%) + Carfentrazone (0.25%) (0DAT) Ryan Brown, SFWMD Ryan Brown, SFWMD Ryan Brown, SFWMD Herbicides in need of testing • ALS + PPO combos • Glyphosate + PPO combos • Metsulfuron • Florpyrauxifen-benzyl Questions? [email protected].