This pest to ponder – and hopefully remove – is the Madeira vine, AKA the mignonette vine.
Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) is an attractive, hairless, woody climbing vine, with fleshy, succulent heart-shaped leaves, arranged alternately on the stem.
It’s also an eradication species under the Tasman Nelson Regional Pest Management Plan.
The distinguishing feature of Madeira vine is small, irregular tubers which grow along the length of the vine and can accumulate into lumpy clusters.
Madeira vine produces long, slender, drooping flowerheads of small, fragrant cream flowers from January to April.
However, no seed is produced in New Zealand – it is spread solely by fragments and tubers.
Madeira vine tubers are incredibly hardy and drop off the vine to sprout into new vines. Even small fragments of tubers can sprout into new plants.
This plant’s nuisance value lies in its ability to smother plants, preventing the establishment of native plant seedlings.
The combined weight of the tubers along aerial vines can topple small trees. The plant has fleshy rhizomes in the ground that easily break off to sprout new plants.
Digging the rhizomes out is a good approach to removal, but several visits are required over many years to maintain control.
Our Biosecurity Officers are working hard to eradicate Madeira vines from our region. If you have one growing at home or have seen it around our region, please get in touch with our Biosecurity Team on 03 543 8400, or at biosecurity@tasman.govt.nz.