Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ever wondered what the best flowers and plants are for your garden? Search our extensive database of frequently asked questions - and their answers! Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with a Plant Identification, submit your photo to the Green Guru.
rate this answer
Wednesday - November 04, 2009
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Native Plants
Title: Can a mustang grape and an oak coexist in Austin
Author: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have a healthy mustang grape vine growing on an oak in my yard. While the vine provides plenty of good food and a pleasant environment for many birds throughout the year, I feel it is overtaking the oak. The largest part of the trunk of the vine is just less than one inch in diameter. I would like to prune the vine this November or December and would like to do it carefully to prevent harm to both the tree and the vine. How much can I prune the vine? Or to put it differently, how much of the vine should I leave above ground? If pruned, what other care will the vine need to continue living?ANSWER:
In all honesty, we think you are going to have to choose between the oak and the vine. If you drive through this part of the state in the Summer, you will often see a huge mound of grapevines. What you cannot see is the tree beneath that mound, and neither can the sun. With its big leaves, vigorous growth and vining capabilities, the grapevine will soon shade out the leaves of the tree it is using for support, and the tree will die. In the Winter, that vine is just straggling dead stalks hanging down, and if they're hanging down from a dead tree, that's even more unattractive. From your description, that's already a pretty vigorous example, and from personal experience, we can tell you it won't go quietly.
If you elect to keep the grapevine, you don't need to give it any care. It is a native plant to this area, and will grow with normal rainfall and sunlight, in the soil in your yard, without need for any maintenance at all, except a nice tree to climb on. The plant can be propagated by cuttings or seeds, and perhaps you would prefer to put it on a fence or trellis for the birds. Again from personal experience, we can tell you the mustang grape makes pretty good jelly, but it takes a LOT of sugar.
If you decide to save the tree, get all the vines out of it as soon as you can. Cut off the vines fairly close to the ground and quickly paint the cut edge with a broad-spectrum herbicide. Don't spray it, and don't spill it-it can hurt the trees and other plants just as much. And you'll probably have to continue to grub out sprouts and even redo the herbicide painting for some time before the vine truly gives up and goes away.
From our Native Plant Image Gallery:
More on Native Plants from Mr. Smarty Plants
Question: November 20, 2009 - Are any of the plants recommended for green roofs more subject to fire during drought conditions? Our application will be on a rustic wood cabin, thus the importance of safety from fire.
view the full question and answer
Question: November 15, 2009 - Have you heard of the following plants: Butterfly Iris,Compact Nanpina, Red Dawrf Turks
I would like to know some details on the above plant: size, flowers?, draught tolerant, where to plant
Thanking you in advance for whatever information you can give me.
view the full question and answer
Question: November 14, 2009 - Have 3 seven leaf creepers that are planted in mostly shade. In Sept & Oct 2009 all 3 plants had dried up leaves which fell off; however, all three plants grew new leaves when we got rain and are coming back well. One plant, which gets more shade that the others, has leaves that have turned a paler green with some whitish brown spots. What is this and how do I treat it?
view the full question and answer
