Bushkiller is an invasive perennial herbaceous vine native to Tropical and Subtropical Asia, Australia and the West Pacific in the Grape family. It has been found in the Piedmont areas of NC so far. This vine can grow up to 40 feet long and climbs by long tendrils. In North America, it spreads vegetatively by rhizomes and adventitious roots when the roots are cut or disturbed. It has not been demonstrated to produce viable seeds here as it does in its native range. Flowers occur in late summer and are pinkish orange, cup-shaped and occur in umbrels. The leaves are compound with 5 leaflets. The fruits are either white or purple with 2-4 seeds each. Bushkkiller tolerates shade and full sun. It grows in damp deciduous areas along streams and ponds, developed and cultivated areas, and gardens. The vine is invasive and out-competes native plants and stresses native trees by blocking sunlight and breaking branches due to its weight. It is sometimes confused with the native Virginia creeper as this vine also has 5 toothed leaflets but the terminal leaflet has no stem. It can be difficult to control as it regenerates from rhizomes. Cutting it down to the ground and treating it with herbicides has had some success. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It is listed as invasive by the NC Invasive Plant Council and on the NC noxious weed list.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The green leaves are compound with five leaflets, 2 on each side and one at the tip with a longer stem. Margins are toothed and the undersides are whitish in color. Hairs can be present on both surfaces. Leaflets are 1-3 inches long and 1/2 to 1.5 inches wide. New growth can have a reddish color. Tendrils grow opposite of the leaves.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange; Pink
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small cup-shaped pinkish or yellowish flowers occur in umbrels late summer
Fruit color
Purple/Lavender; White
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
White or purple grape-like fruit with 2-4 triangular seeds
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Stems are laterally flattened. Cut stems produce a sticky exudate. Branches can have a purplish-green color
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical and Subtropical Asia, Australia and the West Pacific