Weed in the Lane!

A local lane,

This a little lane not far from where I live, well traversed by the residents walking the dogs to the parks, going to and from work, and the local children playing around.

This lane is no different to others around generally. It still retains the bluestone cobblestones that many a night cart has trundled, new roller doors for car access along with innumerable fence types in different states of repair.

One of the highlights is the vegetable patch in a backyard with pumpkins growing over the fence. I bet there is a wonderful assortment of delicious and healthy crops behind. This makes me want to go and grow my own, if I had the room and possibly a greener thumb. City gardening at its best.

Apart from the pumpkin, there are few other plants, with the exception of the creepers and vines along the fences extending into the trees of adjacent yards; two vines of note being Anredera cordifolia and Ipomoea indica.

Madeira vine (Anredera cordifolia) is also known as potato vine or lambs tail vine. It is a vigorous climber which is very heavy on the tree canopy and can cause smaller trees to collapse. It is a vigorous climber with heart shaped leaves and potato like aerial tubers along its stems, from which it reproduces. Note: Anredera cordifolia is a declared noxious weed in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia, and prohibited from sale in Queensland and New South Wales. A good, non-invasive, native alternative to madeira vine is native wisteria (Milletia megasperma).

Blue morning glory (Ipomoea indica) is a perennial climber. The thick, smothering growth of this weed is a common sight on many fences, roadsides and forest edges. This vigorous climbing allows it to colonise the highest branches of trees, as well as forming a thick mat at ground level, smothering the current vegetation. It has been known to live for 25 or more years, but is easier to eradicate than Anredera cordifolia.  Note: Ipomoea indica is a declared noxious weed in New South Wales and Western Australia and prohibited from sale in New South Wales.

So please do not grow these plants, they may look nice and green with pretty flowers growing over the back fence, but they can spread rapidly and are very hard to eradicate if established. So get on the net (sites listed below), look them up and see if we, in Victoria, can avoid repeating the problems they created elsewhere.

Happy hunting, I know you want to.

We can do it together!!!!!

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au

http://awsassets.wwf.org.au

Hard copy of above -

Groves, R.H., Boden, R. & Lonsdale, W.M. 2005, 'Jumping the Garden Fence: Invasive Garden Plants in Australia and their environmental and agricultural impacts', CSIRO report prepared for WWF-Australia, WWF-Australia, Sydney.