Environmental Weeds in Sydney North

• Noxious Weeds
• Other Significant Environmental Weeds
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Weed control

• Hand removal techniques
• Biocontrol

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Bridal Creeper

Botanical Name: Asparagus asparagoides
Noxious Weed Category:
CLASS 5 in NSW
CLASS 4 in parts of Sydney North region and Parramatta and Campbelltown councils


Photo: Ku-ring-gai Council

 
Special Note: Bridal Creeper has been declared a "Weed of National Significance"

 

Description:
Also known as Myrsiphyllum asparagoides.

Originating in South Africa, Bridal Creeper is a dense woody scrambler or climber up to 3m long. Leaves reduced to scales. Its fern-like or leaf-like stems are small and lance-shaped to 3cm long.

Sprays of sweet smelling white to pink flowers. Each petal has a distinctive central green stripe.
Fruit is a small red to black berry.

The root system is a complex of white starch-storing tubers attached to a horny flat crown

Dispersal:
Escape from garden sites. The attractive berries are widely dispersed by birds, but infestations in bushland often occur from dumping along bushland edges.

Impact on Bushland:
Invades hind-dunes, bushland and rainforest. Bridal Creeper is a large problem in southern states of Australia.

Control:

Manual:

Asparagus species are best removed manually.
  Cut away stems and carefully bag all berries
  Be sure to remove the whole root system including the flattened horny crown
Chemical: Please contact your local control authority for advice on chemical control.

Similar Species:
May be confused with the native species Wombat Berry (Eustrephus latifolius). Wombat Berry has larger non-glossy leaves and produces a larger round green berry ripening to yellow.

Suggested Alternatives:
Native Rubus species (Rubus parvifolius, Rubus hillii).
Loganberry and Boysenberry (Rubus hybrids), but runners need to be controlled.

References:
Attack of the Killer Weeds, Coastcare
Wildthings around Sydney, Sainty and Associates