Alien invasive plants: Moth catcher

Update

GEORGE NEWS - Alien invasive plants destroy biodiversity, the link between all organisms on earth that binds all into interdependent ecosystems.

Starting this month, George Herald will be placing a photo every month of an alien invasive plant in order to create awareness about their impact on the environment and how we should deal with them.

In October the focus falls on:

This month, October, we have already shone the spotlight on the Lantana species, but we highlight a second plant for the month, namely the moth catcher or Araujia sericifera:

It is a vigorous, semi-woody, perennial creeper that can reach the top of tall trees.

The stems contain a milky sap. The plant and its sap can cause skin irritation.

Identification:

Leaves are dark green and smooth above and pale green or whitish below with short, dense hairs. White, cream or pale pink flowers appear from November to April. The fruit is large, green and spongy.

When it is mature, it turns brown and woody and splits open to release thousands of blackish seeds which are attached to fluffy parachutes and are carried away on the wind.

Impacts:

The moth catcher's invasive status is "Category 1b invader and habitat transformer" as it smothers other plants and eventually kills them. It may not be planted or traded and seed dispersal should be avoided.

Control:

Triclopyr is registered as a spot treatment. Backpack sprayers are a good tool for spot-treating small weed populations. This plant is easily uprooted when still small. The plants should be destroyed before they produce seeds.

References: www.invasives.org.za : www.sanbi.org : (search under COMMUNITY SERVICES and NEWS tabs.

The immature fruit is large, green and spongy.