Land Management Program at Archbold Biological Station
P.O. Box 2057,  Lake Placid, FL 33862
 Phone 863-465-2571  FAX 863-699-1927
 E-mail: landmanager@archbold-station.org

Treatment of Rosary Pea

• Method  
  1.  Hand collecting seed pods during the late fall, winter, and spring months.  Seed pods are placed in two heavy duty plastic bags and disposed of in the trash dump.
  2.  Seedlings < 5-6" in height can be removed by hand and discarded on site.
  3.  Larger, multi-stemmed plants are deeply rooted and difficult to remove by hand.  Larger stems are cut at the base 1-3" above the ground and the entire stem is treated with herbicide. 
  
  
• Herbicide (label information on each herbicide can be obtained by the specific herbicide)
  
  10% solution of Garlon 4 and 90% spray  adjuvant such as Cidekick
  
  
• Monitoring
  Site with heavy infestations should be visited April-July each year to hand-remove seedlings. 
  Collect seeds pods as often as possible.
  
• The Biology Of Rosary Pea:  Twining vine that can grow 40+ feet into the canopy.  Often wraps around small shrubs and tress many time, sometimes killing the host plant.  Grows well in dry, xeric sites, most often being found in disturbed areas.  Produces numerous seed pods in the fall that open up within several weeks displaying multiple hard red seeds with black bases.  These seeds are considered one of the most poisonous seeds in the World.  Killed back by cold weather but re-sprouts in the early spring.
  

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• Hutchinson, J.T., April 2003.
© Archbold Biological Station, 2003 April.
• Webmaster: Fred Lohrer, email: webmaster@archbold-station.org