Batwing passion flower

General description

Climbing vine. Leaves are two-lobed and shaped like bat wings. Flowers are yellow/light green, < 2 cm in diameter and borne year-round. Fruits are purplish black berries < 17 mm in diameter.

What you need to know

To help protect our environment:

• You must not breed, distribute, release or sell bat-wing passion flower. As bat-wing passion flower is a National Pest Plant Accord species, these restrictions apply within the Auckland region and across the whole of New Zealand.

Habitats

Forest, forest margins, scrub, gardens, hedges, fence lines.

Dispersal

Seeds are dispersed by birds. Human-mediated dispersal through deliberate plantings.

Impact on environment

Smothers native vegetation and may alter forest composition.

Control

Site Management

Cut and pull vines away from desirable trees and native plants before foliar spraying. Follow up treated areas 3 times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after 2-3 treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Recommended approaches

Physical control

Method: Physically remove the plant by hand pulling or digging.  Upper stems can be left to die in trees.

Plant parts requiring disposal: All parts (except vines if left to die in trees).

Disposal options: Remove to greenwaste or landfill.

Biocontrol

Biocontrol is currently not available for this species.

Community agrichemical control recommendations

No qualifications:

For small infestations: Cut stump and paste freshly cut base of stems with glyphosate gel (400 g/l active ingredient).

Basic Growsafe certified:

Cut vines at waist height and foliar spray vines on the ground with triclopyr herbicide (600g/L active ingredient) 6 ml triclopyr per 1L of water or (120g/L) 30ml triclopyr per 1L of water.

Certified Handler/Experienced agrichemical user:

Cut vines at waist height and foliar spray vines on the ground with triclopyr herbicide (600g/L active ingredient) 60 ml triclopyr per 10L of water. Triclopyr must be used with the recommended adjuvant and applied until all parts of the target plant including stems and branches are thoroughly wet.