Cricket --I have heard the same thing. I have had the vine for 7 years and it really can cover a trellis --I like it. I do cut it down to about 12" every spring before it goes out of dormancy.

If you have room for it to grow on the arbor --I would let it. It is a great looking vine and the berries are such a neat color. I have had no seeding of the vine. Mine is also on the north side of the barn and gets a couple of hours of sun in the morning.

Cathy

Cricket, I have had this on my arbor for 5 yrs. Just prune it back if it gets too rambunctious. It seeds a bit,but just yank them out.or transplant some.I went by your house last week. At least I think I know which house you live in. Arbor out front is exactly like mine.I loved going by last summer & watching the progresss,as you transformed your front yard.
The rain helped to start things peeking up.

I planted a small porcelain vine in the early Fall of 2002. Summer of 2003, it took off like wild fire. Beautiful! I didn't know that it required cutting back. No signs of life so far this spring. Should I go ahead and cut it back or wait for any signs of life?

Howdy, Cricket-

For what it is worth, I have investigated this question because I bought a porcelain vine before I knew it was invasive.

The National Park Service has a 'Noxious Weeds Working Group' that was looking at how to eradicate porcelain vine from national park properties in the eastern U.S. where it is invasive/noxious. The biggest risk according to this group is that porcelain vine seed is spread by birds from residential gardens to adjacent woodlands.

This got my attention. However, IA extension says that porcelain vine is not invasive in IA because the environmental conditions do not suit it that well. I asked specifically about the residential-to-woodland spread and they said they didn't believe it was a problem.

However, I do worry about being the source of ecological disaster. LOL

Trish