Species Identification
A combination of three traits distinguish MAM from other vegetation found in the northeast:
1. Leaves shaped like triangles
3. Saucer-shaped leaves at nodes (called ocrea)
Other traits:
New! Fruits
Seedlings (coming soon)
Check our SIMILAR SPECIES guide
1: Leaves shaped like triangles
Mile-a-minutevine (MAM) has distinctly triangular leaves. The leaves are approximately equilateral without lobes or indentations.
Other plants may have similar vining habits and/or barbs but different leaf shapes.
![MAMTriangularleaf](https://mam.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1170/2015/02/MAMTriangularleaf.jpg)
![A single, triangular leaf of MAM Photos courtesy Todd Mervosh, CT Agricultural Experiment Station](https://mam.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1170/2015/02/MAMleaves-368x400.jpg)
Back to About mile-a-minute Go to trait 2-barbs
Mile-a-minute Vine has small barbs along the stems and leaf petioles and sometimes along the leaf midribs.
(Also, please note the blue and green fruits in the picture, which may be present after mid-July)
![MAM fruits and curved prickles or barbs](https://mam.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1170/2015/02/MAMfruits-400x301.jpg)
Back to About mile-a-minute Go to trait 3-ocrea
3: Saucer-shaped leaves at nodes (ocrea)
Mile-a-minute vine has small saucer-shaped leaves called ocrea at nodes and branching points.
Whole Plant Photo
![A single mile-a-minute plant. Note the triangular leaves and visible ocrea at nodes. Photo courtesy Renee Sullivan.](https://mam.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1170/2015/02/ReneeSullivanMAMphoto-400x267.jpg)
Mile-a-minute fruit information
Fruits of mile-a-minute develop in early summer and ripen from blue to green as the season progresses. When attempting to control mile-a-minute, it is important to note that GREEN FRUITS MAY STILL GERMINATE.
![MAM fruits](https://mam.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1170/2015/02/SEP2008dsx1352-400x300.jpg)
![MAM fruits next to penny, with seeds removed from fruit. Each fruit contains one seed](https://mam.media.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1170/2015/02/mamfru7-400x300.jpg)