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Climbers and scramblers have the capacity to smother grass, shrubs and trees. They often spread easily and have the capacity to also engulf sheds and fences, destabilising them under their weight.
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Asparagus Fern - Asparagus scandens State Restricted Noxious Weed Characteristics: A perennial creeping or climbing vine with smooth, wiry stems and retains its above-ground foliage throughout the year. Its green, delicately branching stems resemble ferns, with dark green, sickle-shaped leaves occurring in groups of three along the branchlets. Risk Rating: High Control: Cut back low to prevent seeding, dig up tuberous root mass and dispose of in the rubbish. |
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Cape Ivy - Delairea odorata Characteristics: A perennial vine featuring slender, twining purplish/green stems that can climb to considerable heights, often covering other vegetation. Its alternate, fleshy ivy-like leaves emit a strong odor when crushed. It produces small, yellow daisy flower heads from winter to spring. Risk Rating: Very high Control: Prevention, hand pulling, trim upper vegetation, and spot spraying. |
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Blackberry - Rubus fruticosus spp.agg. Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed Characteristics: An upright perennial that thrives in summer, producing canes up to 6m long. It becomes semi-deciduous in autumn and winter. Flowers bloom from December to January, ranging from pink to white. The serrated ovate leaflets feature prickles on both leaves and stems. Berries ripen from December to April, transitioning from green to red to black. While it serves as a significant refuge for pest animals, it also holds importance for certain native fauna, necessitating cautious, phased removal over several years. Risk rating: High Control: Cut and paint, cut back & clear off and spot spraying |
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Blue Periwinkle - Vinca major Characteristics: A perennial scrambler with long spreading stems called stolons. Its tough, glossy leaves are arranged in opposite pairs and widen at the base. It bears large solitary blue flowers in spring. Risk Rating: High Control: Prevention, hand pulling taking care to remove each stem node which can take root. |
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Bridal Veil Creeper, Smilax - Asparagus asparagoides State Restricted Noxious Weed Characteristics: A deciduous climber with slender, occasionally spiny stems originating from an underground rhizome, often adorned with small tubers. Its shiny, broadly oval to rounded leaves are thin. It bears inconspicuous fragrant green/white flowers in late winter to spring, succeeded by red berries in early summer, and the plants wither in summer. Risk Rating: High Control: Prevention, hand pulling taking care to dig up the tuberous roots which form a dense mat underground |
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Cleavers - Galium aparine Characteristics: An annual sticky herb that scrambles up to 1m in height, often enveloping nearby vegetation. Its leaves form whorls of six to eight, attached to square stems. Small white star-shaped flowers mature into round, slightly prickly seedpods up to 5mm in diameter. Risk Rating: High Control: Hand pulling, spot spraying and cut back & clear off
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Common Vetch - Vicia sativa Characteristics: This short-lived herbaceous plant features slender creeping, scrambling, or climbing stems. Its leaves, arranged alternately, have pairs of small leafy structures at the base of the leaf stalk. Pink or purple pea-shaped flowers, measuring 1.8-3 cm long, are found singly or in small clusters in the upper leaf forks. Its elongated and flattened pods are typically hairy when young, transitioning to brown or yellowish-brown when mature. Risk Rating: Low Control: Prevention, hand pulling, and spot spraying |
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English Ivy - Hedera helix Characteristics: A woody perennial plant capable of climbing up to 30m or creeping along the ground, creating carpets. It boasts shiny, dark green triangular leaves with pale veins and produces yellowish-green flowers on climbing sections in late March, yielding black fruit thereafter. Risk Rating: Very High Risk Control: Prevention, hand pulling, cut & paint, spot spraying, and trim upper vegetation. Using spray treatment can pose challenges and should be undertaken exclusively by a qualified expert. |
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Japanese Honeysuckle - Lonicera japonica Characteristics: A robust scrambler or climber reaching up to 8m tall. It bears fragrant yellow flowers from spring to summer and small blackberries in autumn. Its dense clusters overwhelm native groundcover and can envelop shrubs and small trees. Risk Rating: Very high Control: Prevention, hand pulling, cut & paint, spot spraying, and trim upper vegetation. Using spray treatment can pose challenges and should be undertaken exclusively by a qualified expert. |
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Morning Glory - Ipomoea indica Characteristics: Very vigorous climber that can smother trees and shrubs. Spread by seed and dumped garden waste. Risk Rating: High Control: Hand weed young plants and watch for seedlings. Prevent seeding from mature plants by severing stems near the base. |
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Moth Vine - Araujia sericifera Characteristics: A creeping vine capable of climbing up to 5–10m high. When damaged, it emits a milky, foul-smelling substance. Its leaves are dark green, glossy, and somewhat fleshy, almost triangular in shape, with smooth edges. Risk Rating: Moderate Control: Prevention, hand pulling, cut & paint and spot spraying. Take care when weeding as sap can irritate skin |
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Wandering Creeper (Wandering Trad) - Tradescantia fluminensis Characteristics: A perennial ground cover herb with soft, glossy, bright green oval leaves on delicate succulent stems. It produces white flowers with three petals at the ends of stems in summer. Risk Rating: Very high Control: Prevention, hand pulling and raking up to reduce vegetation mass. |
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