Last Updated on July 1, 2020 by Caroline Warwick

Welcome to Weed Science Wednesday, a weekly series aimed at helping homeowners and horticulture professionals better identify and manage common landscape weeds in Florida.

This week’s weed of the week is Skunkvine (Paederia foetida). Skunkvine is a natural area weed, commonly found in landscapes and outdoor areas throughout Florida. Skunkvine is fast-growing and can adapt to a variety of soil conditions, light, and salinity levels.

In the wild, skunkvine is notorious for overgrowth and is known to overtake entire areas of vegetation by creating dense canopies, leading to the death of Native vegetation. Skunkvine has small gray or lilac flowers with oval shaped leaves. The easiest way to identify skunkvine is through smell – simply crush the leaves and sniff! Skunkvine’s name derives from its pungent, foul smell.

For more information on skunkvine, including specific recommendations for chemical, physical and cultural weed controls, please consult Natural Area Weeds: Skunkvine (Paederia foetida).

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