'Like it's from a different planet': P.E.I. watershed group fighting growth of invasive wild cucumber

The name may sound familiar, but it's a plant so bizarre "it's almost like it's from a different planet."

Those are the words of Trout River Environmental Committee director Colin Jeffrey, speaking of the hostile spread of wild cucumber in parts of central P.E.I.

The Trout River watershed group covers the area from Stanley Bridge down to Founds Mills, across to Millvale and everywhere in between — and the plant has established a foothold in the area, multiplying and suffocating vegetation for at least two summers.

Attempts to remove it in the past have been unsuccessful.

"This year we've really been targeting the wild cucumber and unfortunately we still haven't made as much progress as we would like," Jeffrey said.

"So we're trying to raise awareness of just how difficult it is to get rid of this vine once it's taken root."

'It's spreading rapidly'

This summer the group is doubling down on its efforts to fight back against the horde of tiny, round prickly pods and the vines that can grow as long as buses.

The group spent roughly two weeks at the start of the summer removing wild cucumber by busting pods and ripping vines. But the vines are popping up again in places they've already cleared, so they're back at it.

"I must have seen vines now that are 30-feet long or more. It's a bit scary for sure," he said.

The plant is a concern to the group because it grows quickly and suffocates native shrubs and vegetation, Jeffrey said. By blanketing itself over other plants like a shroud, it cuts off sunlight to other vegetation.

It's really important to pull it up as soon as you see it.— Colin Jeffrey, Trout River Environmental Committee

Wild cucumber isn't edible but it produces a lot of seeds that thrive in sunlight and moist soil. Jeffrey suspects that birds are playing a role in the spread as well.

"It's spreading rapidly," he said. "I'm seeing a lot more of it in our area than I saw last summer. I think the birds are eating the seeds and spreading those around."

'It will take a concerted effort'

The group has put calls out on Facebook asking for volunteers to help rip wild cucumber out of the ground.

It isn't too challenging to rip them from the earth, Jeffrey said, but it's a lot of work for a small team and a short time period to get it done.

"It really seems like you need to wait until the second half of August to pull them," he said.

It's particularly a problem around the Founds Mills and Graham's Road area, he said. Jeffrey said that at this point "it will take a concerted effort by communities to go out and pull up everything they can find."

They're asking anyone who lives in the area that comes across wild cucumber to yank it out of the ground as soon as they can.

The best strategy is to destroy the plant immediately, before it has a chance to establish a seed bank, Jeffrey said.

"It's really important to pull it up as soon as you see it," he said. "Don't let it get established for a year or two because you'll have those extra seeds in the ground that will sprout in later years and it means you have to go back and keep pulling it."

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