Kudzu vine

General description

Perennial herbaceous to semi-woody, scrambling, trailing or climbing vine, < 30 m long. Leaflets are in groups of three and are dark green and slightly lobed with hairy undersides. Flowers are fragrant, red/purple, pea-like and borne in spikes. Seed pods are flattened, hairy, brown and bean-like.

What you need to know

To help protect our environment:

• You must not breed, distribute, release or sell kudzu vine within the Auckland region.
• You must not plant kudzu vine within the Auckland region, unless you are transferring an existing plant on your land to another location within the boundaries of the same property.
• You must destroy any kudzu vine on land that you occupy if it has been planted in breach of the above rules and you are directed to do so by an authorised person.

Habitats

Forest, forest margins, riparian areas, scrub, shrubland, plantations, roadsides.

Dispersal

Seeds dispersed by birds. Vegetative spread from layering and root fragments, dispersed by water. Human-mediated dispersal through dumping of garden waste, contamination of machinery and vehicles.

Impact on environment

Aggressive competitor in native forest, shrubland and riparian margins. Alters forest disturbance regimes, out-shades and girdles small trees. Allelopathic.

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: Cut vines and leave upper stems to die in trees or dig out.

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

Disposal options: Compost in a composting weed bag or 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 metsulfuron gel.

Basic Growsafe certified:

For small infestations: Cut stump and spray freshly cut base of stems with 1g metsulfuron-methyl per 1L of water. Cut vines at waist height and foliar spray vines on the ground with 0.5g metsulfuron-methyl per 1L of water.

Certified Handler/Experienced agrichemical user:

For medium to large infestations: Cut vines at waist height and foliar spray vines on the ground with 5g metsulfuron-methyl per 10L of water and 20ml penetrant.