Old man's beard ( Clematis vitalba ) is an invasive plant in New Zealand that affects indigenous biodiversity. It is declared an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993 which means it cannot be sold, distributed or propagated.
Old man's beard ( Clematis vitalba ) is an invasive plant in New Zealand that affects indigenous biodiversity. It is declared an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993 which means it cannot be sold, distributed or propagated.
Old man's beard was introduced into New Zealand as an ornamental plant some time before 1922 and the Department of Conservation and other government organisations now spend millions of dollars on its control. [1] The seeds are wind-borne on a fluffy boll and can remain on the vine over the winter months. The seeds are most likely to germinate on disturbed ground where the light level is more than 5% of full sunlight. It is more common outside undisturbed forests on forest and stream margins and forest gaps. [2]
Old man's beard is a climber that will smother established trees and forms a dense canopy that stops sunlight reaching the soil surface. This affects the health of the existing vegetation and prevents the germination of all other species. [3]
Various methods are used to control the plant including mechanical removal, herbicides and biological control. Large vines can be cut at ground level and a herbicide gel applied to prevent sprouting. Trailing vines must be removed since they can re-sprout, and small plants can be uprooted. [4] Biological control agents have been trialled. [1]
A public service campaign highlighting the threat of old man's beard was carried out by the Department of Conservation in the 1980s using the British naturalist David Bellamy as the spokesperson. [5]
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Clematis is a genus of about 380 species within the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids and cultivars have been popular among gardeners, beginning with Clematis 'Jackmanii', a garden staple since 1862; more cultivars are being produced constantly. They are mainly of Chinese and Japanese origin.
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Clematis vitalba is a shrub of the family Ranunculaceae.
Tecomanthe speciosa is a species of subtropical forest lianes. A single specimen was first discovered on Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, 55 km (34 mi) off the northern tip of New Zealand, during a scientific survey in 1945. No other specimens have ever been found in the wild. Tecomanthe is a tropical genus not otherwise represented in New Zealand. Four other species of Tecomanthe occur in Queensland, Indonesia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
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Ripogonum scandens is a common rainforest vine endemic to New Zealand. The species was described by Johann Reinhold Forster, and Georg Forster in 1776. It has a conservation status of Not Threatened.
Clematis paniculata is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is one of seven species of clematis native to New Zealand. C. paniculata is the most common of these, and is widespread in forests throughout the country.
Dipogon lignosus, the okie bean, Cape sweet-pea, dolichos pea or mile-a-minute vine, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is the only species classified in the monotypic genus Dipogon which belongs to the subfamily Faboideae.
Calophoma clematidina is a fungal plant pathogen and the most common cause of the disease clematis wilt affecting large-flowered varieties of Clematis. Symptoms of infection include leaf spotting, wilting of leaves, stems or the whole plant and internal blackening of the stem, often at soil level. Infected plants growing in containers may also develop root rot.
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