Banana Passionfruit
This climbing vine can reach up to 10 metres and has glossy green 3-lobed leaves, hanging pink flowers produced year-round and followed by hanging thin skinned fruit that ripens from green to yellow or orange (and looks banana-ish, hence the name!)
It aggressively invades shrublands, open forest and the light well margins of intact bush where it smothers trees and allows other weeds to invade. The many spiralling stems root where they touch the ground.
At the Heads it can be found in growing amounts on the lower slopes of Manaia at McLeod Bay, near Taiharuru, the Nook and Parua Bay.
How do I control them?
Special note: Roots normally easy to pull out. Use herbicide only when roots cannot be pulled or if plant snaps when pulling.
- Hand removal: Pull up by the roots. Treat cut stem or tie/hang stems in air to prevent layering.
- Cut stump application: Trace the vines to the main root. Typically large areas of banana passionfruit will come down to a number of large vines. Often it will take longer to trace the vine than to control it! A vine 3cm in diameter could cover an area or 30-40 sqm so this is a sensitive and worthwhile method to use. Cut and immediately treat stumps with Weed Action’s Gly/ Met Mix or Picloram gel or trichloram at 10 mls/100 mls water
- Foliar spray large masses on ground where roots cannot be pulled with 60ml trichloram + 60ml /10L water + penetrant. Best in spring-autumn.
IMPORTANT: If you see the Bat-wing Passionflower you must contact the Northland Regional Council Environmental Hotline on 0800 504639 or email info@nrc.govt.nz as it is an Eradication Species – they will send a Biosecurity Officer or approved contractor to remove it free of charge
CAUTION: when using any herbicide or pesticide PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.
Get in touch with us at info@weedaction.org.nz if you would like some assistance in applying the above control techniques or equipment and herbicides to do so. We can supply any of the products or equipment needed, for free, thanks to support from Northland Regional Council.
