Pest plant - Bridal creeper
- Fact sheet
- August 2015
Bridal creepers (A. asparagoides and A. declinatus) are perennial weeds. They form thick ground cover and canopies in native vegetation and are difficult to control chemically due to the risk of damage to the native species they grow amongst.
Description
- perennial herb climbing to three metres
- leaves are glossy and oval leaves (A. asparagoides) or blue-green needle-like leaves (A. declinatus).
- slender stems branch and twine around neighbouring vegetation or structures forming thick ground cover and climbing several meters into the canopy of trees
- flowers are white and star shaped, forming round, red, sticky berries 6-10mm in diameter
- tuberous roots which form a dense mat under the ground.
Why is it a problem?
- both species compete with and replaces native vegetation by forming thick root mats and dense canopies and germinating faster than native species.
Distribution
A. asparagoides:
- Eyre Peninsula – widespread with heavy infestations in the south
- Northern pastoral – present in the southern Flinders Ranges
- Northern agricultural districts and Yorke Peninsula – common in native vegetation and roadsides in areas of higher rainfall
- Murray Mallee – widespread with heavier infestations in the south
- South East – widespread on roadsides, reserves and native vegetation
- Central region – common on roadsides and ungrazed areas.
A. declinatus:
- Yorke Peninsula, Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island – scattered outbreaks.
Ecology
- tolerates heavy shade and many soil types
- plants become dormant in summer, new growth begins in February
- grows quickly from June, flowering begins in august
- ripe fruit can stay on the plant for many months, seeds germinate in autumn
- can spread by growth of the root system.
How it spreads
- birds and foxes spread the berries, seeds then easily establish in undisturbed soil
- spreads vegetatively from rhizomes and root fragments.