Beware: Skunkvine is a plant that you might smell before you get a good look. The one-of-a-kind plant, also formally known as paederia foetida, is not an actual skunk but releases a strong odor that smells like rotting cabbage or a sewer, according to Patti Bonnin of the Houston Arboretum.
That strong smell comes from sulfur compounds in its leaves. This long, winding plant can grow up to 35 feet long, and usually twists up tree canopies or along the ground.
The invasive plant, normally found in temperate climates of Asia, can now be spotted in many parts of the southwest United States and Hawaii. The plant is similar to an invasive plant sewer vine, Paederia cruddasiana.
Skunkvines can be hard to get rid of because even after they're cut down, their thick woody stem resprouts quickly and continues to produce many seeds. The plant will continue to grow and kill off any native vegetation in its path. The vines can weigh down on trees and cause their branches or the whole tree to collapse. It can also smother shrubs or other plants.
“Sewer-smelling leaves, destructive, invasive AND difficult to get rid of? Why would anyone want this plant in their gardens? Originally, this plant was cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its delicate pink and white flowers and beautiful climbing vines,” says Bonnin.
If you’re looking to control the growth of skunkvine, apply an herbicide. However, you may have to apply it multiple times to really get the vine’s growth under control. Good luck!
