Trombetta Mile-a-Minute Vine
Teresa Gallagher
FYI: I found highly invasive Mile-a-Minute (MAM) Vine on the Trombetta Open Space (see map below and photo attached). This is the first time I’ve seen this dreaded plant in Shelton, although when I reported it, I saw that someone else had reported MAM in Shelton in 2019. No idea who. It was in Newtown several years ago and a friend had given me a tour of a location where the state had released a weevil to help slow it down. And then it was in Monroe. So this part of Shelton is the area I was most expecting to find it first. It’s close to Jones Farm.
MAM is an annual that spreads by seeds in berries. So to combat it, the vine needs to be removed before the berries mature (June-Sept). For 2021, we’ve mostly missed that window. “By late summer you are unlikely to have an impact on the seedbank.” https://extension.psu.edu/mile-a-minute
The MAM I found had some mature berries and others in the process of maturing, but presumably most of the berries have already ripened and dropped. The cold weather will kill off the existing vines.
The seeds are viable for years, so it’s a long term management issue. The area is maybe 50x50 feet, so it’s still manageable. However, it’s very difficult to get to. To get there, I hiked down Stockmal Trail from Rt 110 to Means Brook and noticed the water was very low, so I forded the brook. Then there’s a good bushwhack to get to the site. Means Brook is the primary obstacle. Water levels have been low, so it was 5” deep and I was able to get across in my hiking boots on my toes. But now it’s raining, so I expect it’s deeper. Probably just have to take off the boots. At this time, clearing a route to the MAM site for next year may be the most productive thing to do. (This property has been flagged as having the potential for a loop hiking trail if we can somehow get across Means Brook).
I’m wondering where else MAM is growing in Shelton. It likes open areas such as meadows and roadsides.
Teresa Gallagher
Natural Resources Manager
City of Shelton
54 Hill Street, Shelton, CT 06484
