Don’t let it smother your Native bush
White moth vine (Araujia sericifera) is a vigorous, woody creeper with a shallow root system. A native of Brazil, this plant is a weed of urban bushland, forest margins, creek banks, roadsides, fences, gardens and orchards.
It smothers other plants with a thick, tangled growth and when disturbed, it exudes a smelly, milky latex which is known to cause an allergic reactions in some people.
This perennial vine can climb up to 7 metres. Its leaves grow in opposite pairs up to 10 cm long and their undersides are pale. The triangular flowers vary in colour, from white, pink and violet. When the Choko like, but poisonous fruits dry, they split open releasing wind borne seeds on silky hairs.
Wear gloves and long sleeves when manually removing this plant due to the irritating latex and keep sap away from face and eyes. Young Seedlings can easily hand pulled before they become a problem. Selective herbicides are effective but manual removal is usually all it takes. Seed heads and seed are best disposed of with your household waste.
There is a native plant known as the Silkpod (Parsonia straminea) which is similar to Moth Vine but the Silkpod can be easily identified as the native as its sap is not white.
