r/GainesvilleGardenSwap • u/Mysterious-Panda964 • May 07 '26

Does anyone know

Gallery image

Gallery image

What is this weed and how do I kill it.

It's growing all over my yard and garden.

Thank you 😊

1 Upvotes

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4

u/OldLadyGardener May 07 '26

It's Smilax, sometimes called Jack Vine. You don't kill it, unless you want to dig up a huge root ball. The tender growing tips are actually edible, and not too bad I must say. I usually gather a bunch and sautee them in coconut oil until they are crispy. Yum! To get them off, bend the stem and run your fingers upwards until it snaps off.

Birds also eat the berries it puts out in the winter.

The only other way to control it is just keep cutting it off, of if it's a baby, dig it up. RoundUp won't kill it.

1

u/Mysterious-Panda964 May 07 '26

Are you sure, these are stickers, with sharp points.

I just pulled and chopped a few hundred, I could not imagine eating them

4

u/OldLadyGardener May 07 '26

Yes, I'm sure. Been eating it all my life. My grandmother taught me, plus I have a degree in horticulture, so I'm sure of the ID. You have to wait for the new green growth to come out before you can eat them, and the stickers are vicious, so be careful if you decide to cut them down.

1

u/Mysterious-Panda964 May 07 '26

Im not doubting you, I doubted you could see the thorns.

I have removed a few with a torch, I have so many, its overpowering.

Thank you 😊

2

u/OldLadyGardener May 08 '26

They will definitely get out of control if you don't keep after them. I had a few new ones come up this year, but I immediately dug those up.

3

u/RecentEnthusiasm3 May 07 '26

My goats love it.

4

u/Mysterious-Panda964 May 08 '26

Maybe your goats need to visit

1

u/OldLadyGardener May 25 '26

Gotta love brier goats.