Air potato vines (Dioscorea bulbifera) can be found in nearly every county in Florida. This is considered an invasive plant here in Florida, and worse, it is labeled a noxious weed because it is harmful to both native plants and local ecosystems.

More about air potato vines in Florida on our website:
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/sci...

UF/IFAS info about identifying and controlling this plant in Florida:
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-dir...

Florida Department of Agriculture info about this vine and controlling it:
https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Ind...

Transcript from captions:
This is an air potato vine, Dioscorea bulbifera.

Despite the name, they’re not related to white potatoes. Air potatoes are a member of the yam family. But you shouldn’t eat them.

These “potatoes” are bulbils that form on the vine. They easily drop to the ground and grow new plants.

This plant is an invasive species in Florida. It’s listed as a noxious weed because it causes so much damage. The vine grows fast. As much as 8 inches a day!

The air potato plants are hard to get rid of once they invade. But this little red bug is a good sign. These are called air potato leaf beetles. Their larvae feed on air potatoes and help keep them in check.

Help keep this invasive plant from spreading in your yard. See the UF/IFAS website for tips on controlling this plant