Posted: 23 March 2005
Moth plant's annual invasion looms
Thousands of wind-borne moth plant seeds are about to be spread throughout the Northland environment, dramatically increasing the risk of unwanted new infestations.
Northland Regional Council Biosecurity Officer Ken Massey is urging Northlanders to help control moth plant - also known as wild choko or kapok vine (the latter due to its fluffy seed capsule centres).
He says despite its innocuous appearance, moth plant (Araujia sericifera) is actually one of the nastiest pest plants threatening the region.
It is an extremely vigorous and toxic climbing vine that can smother garden shrubs, shelterbelt trees, native forest areas and even grow over mangroves while its roots are attached to adjacent road banks.
“Unfortunately, this plant is now well and truly established in Northland and in recent years has developed into a major menace due to its invasive characteristics. Plants will take over bush canopies in their search for the sun, smothering trees in the process.”
Mr Massey says while moth plant flourishes best in good soils, it can still do very well in urban areas where it can even establish itself in small cracks in concrete.
“In built-up areas it can often be seen climbing on industrial fences, while out of town it’s often seen smothering shelterbelt trees. It can also achieve a complete canopy cover in abandoned orchards, resulting in a solid block of moth plant vines covering more than one hectare of fruit trees.”
Mr Massey says moth plant would probably now rank among the top five non-pastoral pest plants in Northland and the region’s landowners have a responsibility to destroy it.
“They can do this with reasonable results by just severing the root system at ground level.”