Family: Polygonaceae

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Elevation range exceeds 1000 m
  
• Widely cultivated and naturalized in Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam, and to a lesser extent in Laos and Thailand
  
• Aggressive growth in garden settings
  
• Related species are invasive
  
• Shade-tolerant
  
• Climbing and smothering habit
  
• Spreads by seeds and vegetatively
  
• Reaches maturity in 2 years
  
• Wind-dispersed
  
• Resprouts from rhizomes after removal of above ground vegetative material

Low Risk Traits:

• Not documented to be an environmental weed
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Edible and medicinal uses