What does it look like?
Also known as Madeira vine, this is a perennial, climbing, hairless, woody vine with fleshy rhizomes and slender, usually reddish stems with small irregular 'warty' aerial tubers. Fleshy to succulent heart-shaped leaves (2-11 x 2-10 cm) are glossy, clammy to the touch, and arranged alternately on the stems. Slender, drooping flowerheads (18 cm long) of small, numerous, fragrant cream flowers are produced from January to April, but no fruit is formed.
Why is it a problem?
Mignonette vine grows at a moderate rate but forms heavy, long-lived masses that dominate and smother plants up to the medium to high canopy level, preventing the establishment of native plant seedlings. The combined weight of aerial tubers can topple small trees. It tolerates drought and damp conditions, wind, salt, many soil types, moderate shade and damage.
Control methods
Physical control
Dig out plants (ensure you get all tubers) any time of the year. Dispose of all tubers, both underground and aerial, at a refuse transfer station. Leave stems to rot away on site.
Herbicide control
- Cut down and paint stump (all year round) using metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (1g /L) or glyphosate (100ml/L) or a product containing 100g picloram+300g triclopyr/L (100ml/L) or triclopyr 600 EC (100ml/L) or triclopyr 120g/L (500ml/L). Pull out and rake up all aerial tubers, burn on site or 'cook' in black plastic bags left in the sun. Or,
- Clear it off trees you want to keep ensuring no tubers break off and spray (spring to autumn) using metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (3g) + glyphosate (100ml) + penetrant per 10L (knapsack) or metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (30g) + glyphosate (1L) + penetrant per 100L (spraygun).
- Repeat applications are necessary until all tubers are killed. Where large underground tubers are cannot be killed using herbicide, digging and removal will be necessary.
- CAUTION: When using any herbicide or pesticide, PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.
Related links
Management Programme
National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA)
The NPPA is designed to prevent the sale, distribution and propagation of a set list of pest plants (the Accord list) within New Zealand. If allowed to spread further, these pest plants could seriously damage the New Zealand economy and environment.
More informationUnwanted Organism
An unwanted organism is any organism that's capable of causing harm to natural or physical resources (like forests and waterways) or human health. A number of introduced pests in New Zealand are classed as unwanted.
Taxonomies
FamilyBasellaceae
TypePlants
GroupClimber
HabitatLand
Management ProgrammeNational Pest Plant Accord (NPPA)Unwanted Organism
