In the r/plants community, a Reddit user posted photos of a neighbor’s vine spilling over their fence. The Florida-based homeowner was unsure if the vine was wild or cultivated.
They noted that their neighbor grows many Southeast Asian fruits and other plants, and usually with a specific purpose.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Replies quickly piled up, pointing out the same thing. The leaves and fruit matched bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd or Momordica charantia. One commenter warned that bitter melon is invasive in Florida.
According to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, it competes with native vegetation and is difficult to clear once it spreads. Many homeowners worry about invasive growth crowding their yards. Bamboo invasions are a common complaint.
In the case of one homeowner, they said that bamboo spread across the yard, breaking through barriers and creeping toward the house. One couple stated their neighbor’s bamboo had started taking over their yard, making it difficult to install a privacy fence or have a garden.
Japanese knotweed earned the nickname “Godzilla of invasive plants” due to how quickly it becomes unmanageable. Some gardeners faced similar frustration with wild mint, which spread beyond its original spot and proved tricky to control.
Another Redditor complained about how Canadian thistles encroached on their garden season after season.
Beyond causing stress for homeowners, invasive species push out native plants and damage local ecosystems. Columbia Climate School noted that rising temperatures speed up the growth of organisms. Planting native species gives yards a better defense.
Swapping turf grass for native plants saves water and requires less maintenance — clover, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping all demand less work.
Clover retains its color during dry spells and feeds nitrogen back into the soil. Buffalo grass, native to North America, thrives with minimal water and low maintenance. Xeriscaping replaces grass lawns with rocks and hardy plants, slashing water use.
These alternatives reduce mowing, shrink bills, and cut chemical use in the yard.
Upgrading to a natural lawn and rewilding your yard also support pollinators, which are vital for the food supply. Even partial swaps can save money and make yards simpler to manage.
The comments on the thread didn’t stop at identification; they offered additional details.
One said, “Bitter melon, common in Indian and East Asian cuisine.”
Another wrote: “Momordica charantia, these turn yellow when fully ripe and the fruit pops open.”
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