Japanese hop : invasive species

Abstract

"Reasons for Invasive Status: Japanese Hop is native to China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It wasimported to the U.S. from Asia in the mid-to-late 1800s for ornamental use. The plant twines to climb adjacent vegetation and structures and sprawls across open ground to form a dense mat several feet deep. This allows it to quickly dominate the area where it is growing, killing native plants by taking much needed nutrients and sunlight. Climbing vines can even pull down small trees. Once it has grown well in an area, this plant begins to spread seeds and continues to reach further. The plant most commonly occurs in the eastern U.S., but is also common along the Mississippi River and Missouri River. It is so successful along the Missouri River because it responds quickly to frequent flooding and siltation disturbances, allowing it to dominate other plants that grow back slower."--Page 1-2.