Hummingbird vine

There is an invasive plant in the eastern U.S. that I (almost) wish I had, just because it has the wonderfully horrible name "Devil's Darning Needles."

Here in West Seattle, I have a vine with the pretty name "Hummingbird Vine" which really is a devil in disguise. I bought this one maybe 10 years ago from one of those cut-rate nursery catalogs for a couple dollars, and I remember planting a pitiful looking dead stick and thinking not much will ever come of this thing. HA! It really has surpassed even our bamboo hedge in it's invasive tendencies (and this is saying something.)

I cut the top off it last year when we had a new fence put in, and this just encouraged it more to send up suckers in about a 50 yard radius around the yard and under the sidewalks. You might wonder, does it attract hummingbirds for all the trouble it causes? The answer is yes, but only for the short and messy blooming season late summer. When most of the hummingbirds seem to be other places doing other things.

As any gardener will tell you, some plants are just too successful. This is a picture of mine, getting ready for the summer rampage. It looks innocent, but beware.

If you are interested in the Devils' Darning Needles:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1168/

Or, the Hummingbird Vine:

http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Trumpet_Creeper.htm