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SEASONAL IDENTIFICATION
MILE-A-MINUTE WEED (Persicaria perfoliata)
SPRING
SUMMER
SUMMER
SPRING
-
SUMMER
SUMMER
FALL
-
WINTER
Mile-a-minute weed grows from seeds and forms young
shoots. Vine shoots are slender and grow rapidly by either
climbing or spreading.
Mile-a-minute weed grows rapidly and covers surrounding
vegetation, thereby blocking surrounding vegetiation from
receiving available light.
Mile-a-minute weed fruit grows in erect clusters of small
berries that range from green or pink to waxy blue. The
cup-like leaf encircles the stem from which the fruit is
produced.
The leaf is distinctly triangle shaped with straight edges. Leaf
undersides and slender stems are armed with spines.
Mile-a-minute weed flowers are small and bell shaped,
produced from within the cup-like leaf in an erect cluster.
The flowers turn from green to white to pink as they develop
bluish purple berries.
In winter, thin mile-a-minute weed vines can be seen
draped over shrubs, trees, and log piles. The slender
reddish stem is squared and retains the downward-
pointing spines into spring.
