Wintercreeper sounds like a villain in a Marvel movie, but it's actually an invasive species (which can be just as scary).

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Invasive Species

Before learning more about Wintercreepers, we should first dive into what exactly are invasive species, and why are they such a big deal. Invasive species can impact the health of native species, and can even have economic impacts on a region.  Invasive Species Info explains that while there can be some devastating environmental impacts due to invasive species, not all non-native species are bad:

Non-native species are plants and animals living in areas where they do not naturally exist. "Non-native species" and "invasive species" can not be used interchangeably. Many commonly grown fruits and vegetables are not native to the U.S. For example, tomatoes and hot peppers originated from South America, while lettuce was first grown by the Egyptians. Domestic cows are non-native to North America and were introduced as a food source, and considered to be a beneficial organism in an agricultural setting.

Indiana DNR Talks Wintercreeper

The Indiana DNR is using this week as Invasive Species Week, it's a way for them to highlight different invasive plants each day, and help teach folks about what to do if they find these plants in their yard.

When I first saw Wintercreeper I thought it sounded more like a villain than a plant, but it turns out this unassuming vine can actually cause some serious problems for our native plants.

INVASIVE SPECIES WEEK: WINTERCREEPER (EUONYMUS FORTUNEI): Today’s Invasive Species Awareness Week spotlight is wintercreeper, a once popular ornamental groundcover plant found at nearly all local garden centers that is spreading into woodlands across Indiana. This persistent invader is regulated by the Indiana Terrestrial Plant Rule, making it illegal to sell, gift, barter, exchange, distribute, transport, or introduce plants within the state.

This evergreen perennial vine was introduced from Asia in the early 1900s. Wintercreeper can quickly become established in heavily shaded forests and woodlots and will quickly outcompete native plants. When the vines begin to climb, they can kill small shrubs and trees.