Kangaroo Island
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Bridal Veil (Asparagus declinatus)

Bridal Veil (Asparagus declinatus)

High Risk Weed for Kangaroo Island

Bridal Veil is an Alert weed for Kangaroo Island. Notify the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board. Early detection and control are the best way to prevent the next widespread weed. 

It is a declared plant for South Australia. 

THE SITUATION AND WHAT TO DO

Bridal veil is a South African native that was introduced to Australia as an ornamental plant in the late 1800s. The first recorded naturalised occurrence in SA was recorded on Kangaroo Island in 1954.

Bridal veil is a Weed of National Significance and is a declared pest plant in South Australia under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. 

Kangaroo Island has one of the largest bridal veil infestations in Australia, greater than 500 km2 in area, occurs mainly on the eastern end of Kangaroo Island, in the Haines and MacGillivray districts with significant outliers occur along Timber Creek Rd, Baudin Beach, Grace James Corner, and on the North Coast Road largely impacting Kangaroo Island Narrow-leaved Malle Woodlands.

There are no biological control agents available for the control of bridal veil. Property owners must Control plants on their property and prevent there spread. 

Bridal Veil (Asparagus declinatus)

DESCRIPTION

  • Growth form: perennial herbaceous climber with twining or scrambling stems up to about 2–3 m long. Plants arise from underground rhizomes with numerous thick tubers forming a dense root mass.
  • Leaves: true leaves are reduced to scales; the apparent foliage consists of narrow, needle-like or awl-shaped cladodes (modified stems) that are blue-green and arranged in small clusters.
  • Flowers: small, greenish-white flowers produced singly or in pairs, usually during late winter to spring.
  • Fruit: round to oval berries that mature appear in late winter-spring from green to pale whitish. Berries are about 8–10 mm in diameter.
  • Seed: each fruit typically contains 5–8 seeds. Dense infestations can produce up to about 800 berries per m², potentially generating thousands of seeds. Seed viability is 2 to 3 years.

Bridal veil develops a dense, underground, tuberous root mat much larger and deeper rooted than bridal creeper and occupies the top 15 cm of the soil, and accounts for 85% of the total mass of the plant.

IMPACTS

The Impacts for bridal veil are very similar to bridal creeper and are only differentiated by their growth habit, reproduction, and underground structures. It is highly invasive weed that smothers native vegetation, reducing biodiversity and habitat for wildlife. Its large dense mats can make earth works and cultivation difficult and costly. This weed also increases fire risk by creating thick, dry ground cover during summer when foliage dies off, and can damage agricultural areas by encroaching on pastures and fences. Old infestations can be expensive and difficult to control.

CONTROL OPTIONS

Physical removal is useful only for small, isolated infestations, and is only effective if all the root mass and rhizomes are removed. Rhizomes and tubers should not be placed in green waste bins.

Control by herbicides is labour-intensive, especially in less accessible sites, and some off-target damage occurs. Experience shows that glyphosate does not always kill the root mass and that new growth may re-emerge after several years.

Permitted and on label herbicides and rates can be found on the PIRSA Weed Control Website:

DECLARATIONS

Bridal veil is declared under the following sections of the Landscape South Australia Act 2019:

  • 186(2) Prohibiting movement on public roads
  • 188(1) Prohibiting sale of the plant
  • 188(2) Prohibiting sale of contaminated goods
  • 192(2) Landowners to control the plant on their properties
  • 194 Recovery of control costs on adjoining road reserves

FURTHER INFORMATION

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