Russian-vine

Information on Russian-vine

Common Name: Russian-vine
Scientific Name: Fallopia baldschuanica
Irish Name: Not known at present
Family Group: Polygonaceae
Distribution: View Map (Courtesy of the BSBI)
Flowering Period


Click for list of all flowering by month
Russian-vine is not easily confused with other wild plants on this web site.


This is an introduced climbing plant which can reach 10 metres. It has small flowers which are 5-8mm long. These are 5-lobed white-tinged-greenish-pink and hang on short pedicels in branched, drooping clusters of 150mm long. The flowers sometimes turn bright pink as fruit develops. They are on climbing stems which are woody below.  The leaves are oval-triangular with heart-shaped bases and long leaf-stalks. This is usually a casual garden discard and can be found on places such as railway embankments. It mainly grows in the S-East and the East of Ireland. Also known as 'Mile-a-minute' it belongs to the Knotweed family. 

I first recorded this growing along the DART line in Dalkey, Co Dublin in 2010 when I also photographed it. 

If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre

Russian-vine
Russian-vine