Abstract
The woody vine oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.) has emerged in recent years as an organism of concern for vegetation managers and practitioners due in part to its ability to girdle trees and cause premature death and collapse. This study investigated a cut stump treatment using glyphosate herbicide in the Hudson Valley, New York to control oriental bittersweet. A 3x3 factorial randomized complete block design experiment was established during the summer of 2011 to test the effects of timing and herbicide concentration on individual vine growth and mortality.
Results from measurements taken one year after treatment reflected somewhat predictable results in that treatments utilizing herbicide were more effective than those without. However 2 years after treatment in 2013, high rates of mortality were observed with or without herbicide, implying that it may not be necessary to use herbicide to control large oriental bittersweet vines.