Q: I have this horrible vine growing throughout my Asiatic jasmine. I am concerned that it might be poison ivy. I would like to get rid of it but I don’t want to kill my jasmine. Do you have any ideas?

A: Thanks for your kind letter and the photos of your vine. We have several different types of pesky vines growing in this area but the one you photographed is called Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia.This plant is found as far west as Utah, as far north as Maine, throughout Florida and most of the states in between. It is often confused with poison ivy as their habitats are similar. The major difference is Virginia creeper has five leaves but poison ivy has three. Hence the saying, “Three leaves let it be.” Both vines change from green to brilliant red in the fall and both produce berries but Virginia creeper does not cause the same reactive rash when it comes in contact with our skin. Removal of Virginia creeper from the Asiatic jasmine will pose a problem as any killer of one vine can easily kill the other. Try to locate the root area of the Virginia creeper. Cut the vine close to the root area and paint it immediately with Glyphosate (Round-up). The plant will take the herbicide into the root and kill the whole plant. This same method can be used for any vine you wish to kill. Be very careful not to drip the herbicide on the jasmine or any other green plant.

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