Black and pale swallow-worts are invasive perennial vines that were introduced 100 years ago into North America. Their invasion has been centralized in New York State, with neighboring regions of southern Canada and New England also affected. The two species have typically been more problematic in natural areas, but are increasingly impacting agronomic systems such as horticultural nurseries, perennial field crops, and pasturelands. While much of the literature reviewed herein is focused on the biology and management of the swallow-worts, conclusions are also presented from research assessing the ecological interactions that occur within communities invaded by the swallow-wort species. In particular, we posit that the role of allelopathy and the relationship between genetic diversity levels and environmental characteristics could be significant in explaining the aggressive nature of swallow-wort invasion in New York. Findings from the literature suggest that the alteration of community-level interactions by invasive species, in this case the swallow-worts, could play a significant role in the invasion process.