FLESHY MADEIRA VINE WITH TUBERS

Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) also known as: lamb's tails, is an invasive climbing vine with fleshy heart-shaped leaves and aerial tubers. It smothers other vegetation including the canopy of tall trees. Madeira vine grows very quickly and it can: smother and kill plants from ground covers to tall trees; cause branches and trees to fall due to the weight of the aerial tubers; reduce food and habitat for native animals; invade crops such as sugarcane; cause ill health if eaten by livestock.Madeira vine is one of the invasive vines listed as a Key Threatening Process in NSW. It threatens three endangered species of plants and three Endangered Ecological Communities. This plant is a Weed of National Significance. Livestock HealthEating madeira vine leaves can cause temporary diarrhea in pigs and sheep. The effects on other livestock are not well researched. Sudden deaths have been reported, but not proven to be the result of madeira poisoning. What does it look like?Madeira vine is a perennial twining vine. It flowers in late summer and autumn.

Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) is a very significant environmental weed in New South Wales and Queensland and is actively managed by community groups in these states. It is also regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, and is listed as a priority environmental weed in eight Natural Resource Management regions throughout Australia.Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) is a highly invasive weed capable of smothering and destroying native vegetation. It is most problematic in moist forests (e.g. damp sclerophyll forests), rainforest margins and riparian vegetation, where it has the ability to establish under an intact canopy and can quickly engulf native species. The growth rate of stems in warmer and moister regions can exceed 1 m per week, and up to 6 m in a growing season. Its climbing stems can totally envelop the canopy layer, while is trailing stems also smother the ground layer of invaded habitats. This reduces light penetration, eventually killing the plants underneath and preventing the germination and regeneration of native plants. The sheer weight of dense infestations can even bring down trees in the canopy layer, and in this way Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) can change the structure of invaded communities, eventually destroying them.This species is currently regarded as one of the five most invasive plants in south-eastern Queensland and among the ten worst weeds in the Gold Coast City Council region. Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) also appears on numerous local and regional environmental weed lists in eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, and has been recorded in a large number of conservation areas in these states (e.g. Mount Etna Caves National Park and Noosa National Park in Queensland and Coocumbac Island Nature Reserve, Stotts Island Nature Reserve, Booti Booti State Conservation Area, Mount Warning National Park, Limpinwood Nature Reserve and Lane Cove National Park in New South Wales). Not only does it invade conservation areas, including some of the most significant ones in this part of Australia, but it is often seen as one of the major threats to their condition or the integrity of the remnant plant communities that they contain. For example, Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) is considered to be the most serious and destructive pest plant affecting rainforest remnants in the North Coast region of New South Wales. It is also regarded as potentially the greatest ecological threat to the world heritage listed Dorrigo National Park, west of Coffs Harbour.

Widely naturalised in the eastern and southern parts of the country, but most common and widespread in the sub-tropical and warmer temperate regions of eastern Australia (i.e. in south-eastern Queensland and eastern New South Wales). Occasionally naturalised in central and northern Queensland, south-eastern South Australia, south-western Western Australia and Victoria and sparingly naturalised in Tasmania. Also naturalised on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

Spray FireHawk Bioherbicide Concentrate: 50 mL/L of water. Respray if regrowth occurs. Pull out creepers including roots.