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Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual Common Name: Chinese Yam, Cinnamon vine, Air potato Scientific Name: Dioscorea oppositifolia L. Chinese yam is a deciduous perennial vine native to China. It is a member of the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. The genus Dioscorea has economic value as a food plant and is used as a traditional Chinese medicine.
Management Recommendations Mechanical Control Mowing/Cutting: This method is appropriate for small initial populations or environmentally sensitive areas where herbicides cannot be used. Mowing or cutting will control the spread of Chinese yam, but will not eradicate it unless it is continued for several growing seasons or until the root reserves are exhausted. Stems should be cut at least once per growing season as close to ground level as possible. Treatment should be completed prior to bulbil production typically in July. Grubbing: This method is appropriate for small initial populations or environmentally sensitive areas where herbicides cannot be used. Using a pulaski or similar digging tool, remove the entire plant, including all roots and bulbils (if present). Juvenile plants can be hand pulled depending on soil conditions and root development. Any portions of the root system not removed will potentially resprout. Mulching: Mulching is an effective control on small infestations or in areas where herbicides cannot be used. Cover the entire infestation with several inches of mulch. This may include wood chips, grass clippings, hay or similar degradable plant material. Shredded or chipped wood may be the best option since hay and grass may potentially carry weed seeds. Covering the area with cardboard may improve the effectiveness and longevity of this method. The mulch should stay in place for at least two growing season and may need to be augmented several times. Herbicidal Control Foliar Spray Method: Use this method to control large populations. The most effective time to treat plants is after the leaves are fully expanded but before the aerial tubers are ripe. Glyphosate: Apply a 4% solution of glyphosate and water plus 0.5%-1% non-ionic surfactant to thoroughly wet all foliage. Do not apply so heavily that herbicide will drip off leaves. Glyphosate is a non-selective systemic herbicide that may kill non-target partially sprayed plants. Ambient air temperature should be above 65°F. Triclopyr: If native grasses are intermingled with the Chinese yam, triclopyr is preferred since it is selective to broadleaved plants. Apply a 4% solution of triclopyr and water to thoroughly wet all foliage. Do not apply so heavily that herbicide will drip off leaves. A 0.5%-1% non-ionic surfactant is recommended in order to penetrate the leaf cuticle, and ambient air temperature should be above 65°F. Bibliography Gleason, H.A. and A. Cronquist. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx. 1991. Johnson, Kristine. National Park Service: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Personal Communication. Dec. 12, 2002. Kartesz, J.T. A Synonymized Checklist and Atlas with Biological Attributes for the Vascular Flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First Edition. In: Kartesz, J.T., and C.A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC. 1999. Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell. Manual of the Flora of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1968. Soehn, Dana. National Park Service: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Personal Communication. Dec. 18, 2002. Tu, Mandy. Element Stewardship Abstract for Dioscorea oppositifolia L. Chinese Yam, cinnamon vine. The Nature Conservancy. Nov. 25, 2002. <http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/diosoppo.html>. USDA, NRCS. 2002. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 <http://plants.usda.gov>. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. |
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The Bugwood Network - The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Questions and/or comments to: bugwood@uga.edu |