Rhonda,

Thanks for reaching out and for the excellent specimen photo.

You are correct, this is an invasive vine. It is called Porcelain Berry or Ampelopsis glandulosa. It grows well in a variety of soil types but is not tolerant of shade. It grows in thick monocultures, shading out native vegetation.

How to be sure you have Porcelain Berry

Stems: the pith of the stem is white in color.

Leaves: the leaf shape can vary but are often deeply lobed with three to five lobes (like the one you photographed). They can look like grape leaves in shape and appearance. The leaves are alternating, simple and heart shaped, with fine hairs on the underside of the leaf.

Form: Deciduous, woody, climbing vine that can grow 15-20 feet long.

Flowers: Greenish-white or greenish-yellow flowers held upright in an umbrella shape. They bloom from June to August.

Fruit: They have small clusters of shiny, hard, (porcelain-like) berries in various shades of white, yellow, lilac, or green that mature to a bright turquoise in color.

Seeds: Each berry has 2-4 seeds that are easily moved by birds.

Roots: They have extensive root systems. Growth is possible as new plants can re-sprout from cut roots.

Manual Control Porcelain Berry

While it is possible to hand-pull the vines, they have extensive root systems that intertwine with the roots of desirable species, making manual eradication difficult. If you attempt hand-pulling, do it in the fall or spring, which will prevent flowers from forming the following season. Always pull before fruits appear. You may leave the pulled vines on-site, allowing them to decompose and return nutrients to the soil. If you have a dense thicket of porcelain-berry, be aware that there may be native species you want to protect growing underneath. The alternative would be a chemical control of the vine.

A good native alternative to Porcelain Berry is the Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) [zone 4] or the Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) [zone 3].

References and Resources:

Vermont Invasives: https://vtinvasives.org/invasive/porcelainberry

Minnesota Extension, Porcelain Berry: https://extension.umn.edu/identify-invasive-species/porcelain-berry

Virginia Tech Extension, Forest Update: https://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/content/dam/forestupdate_frec_vt_edu/newsletter/archives/2018/32_2/GagnonPorcelainberry.pdf

Only wish I had better news for you Rhonda. If you believe this is a difference plant species, please reach out so we can be of further assistance. Of course, if you have additional questions or concerns, we're here.