Family: Araceae

High Risk Traits:

• Widely cultivated ornamental, repeatedly introduced outside native range
  
• Naturalized in multiple regions
  
• Designated an invasive exotic species (Florida Category II)
  
• Smothering growth habit (climbing liana) displaces native species
  
• Forms dense stands in forests
  
• Shade tolerant, invades forest understory
  
• Tolerates wide range of soils, moisture, and pH
  
• Spreads vegetatively; fragments readily resprout
  
• Difficult to eradicate; any piece left behind can regrow
  
• Infestations spread via dumped garden cuttings
  
• Host for Phytophthora and other pathogens affecting crops

Low Risk Traits:

• Produces no viable seed in some regions (e.g., Florida)
  
• No evidence of persistent seed bank