Old Man's Beard (Clematis vitalba) on Aug 30, 2010

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Description of specimen

Hello from North Portland,

I don't know how much the rest of the state is affected but around here Clematis vitalba is a scourge. My residential property perimeter is loaded with it, so I discovered 4 years after buying my 105 year old house. The prior owners hid the evidence by cutting the canes to the ground, letting the old hedges fill in and then cut and ran, so to speak. Last winter's heavy rains woke up the clematis and here I am, bugging you about it.

My problem is, thanks to the Great Recession and being underemployed, I can't afford to gouge out an entire tall privacy hedge which is overrun with this annoying invasive. The hedge hides an ugly church parking lot on a corner lot, the other two borders of that property also having more Clematis vitalba and Himalayan blackberry, volunteer elms, oaks and lord knows what. The church is relatively poor and just keeps their hedges a little pruned but not controlled or freed from the invasives, which just wander further into my property.

I've put in an email to Julia at Multnomah County's noxious weed abatement office via hot-link URL on the SOLV website but that bounced back as undeliverable. A similar query posted with the Oregonian's Kym Pokorny on her gardening blog has yielded no reader answers. I know I'm far from alone in being frustrated and overwhelmed with this non-native.

Commentary

As I drive around Portland I see Clematis vitalba everywhere in empty lots and perimeter properties, even along Highway 84 intermixed with Himalayan blackberry. As you likely know, the clematis seeds blow and we keep getting more invaders. I'm surprised that there's not much attention paid to this weed on the SOLV site or the State's weed abatement pages for that matter. I certainly couldn't find any how-to advices on how to eliminate the damned stuff.

What can you tell me?

Thanks much in advance.

Kevin Bunker
8202 N Fiske Ave
Portland 97203
971-533-3819 mobile

Reporter
Aug. 30, 2010, 10:06 a.m.

Hi, Kevin. Thanks a lot for your email; I was just talking with someone about how difficult it can be to get help with invasives in Portland!!

Yes, clematis is a dreadful weed; so much so that our little Early Detection program can't yet do much to help folks with their treatment. I expect Multnomah County would tell you the same thing.

BUT, there may be a way to fight this stuff. Obviously, digging is the preferred method, but there are herbicide options that might help you out without a) costing a fortune or b) destroying your neighborhood. I'll give you a call to discuss those more.

-Mitch

Mitch Bixby
Aug. 31, 2010, 3:01 a.m.