Asparagus asparagoides

(Bridal Creeper)

from the Weeds of National Significance list

The shiny green leaves and pretty white flowers have made this climbing plant a garden favourite, and particularly popular in flower arrangements and hanging baskets. Unfortunately, however, since it was first listed in a nursery catalogue in 1857 it has spread widely.

Bridal creeper is widespread in south-western Western Australia, southern South Australia and eastern Victoria. It’s spreading through New South Wales and Tasmania too, but there is hope it could still be eradicated there.

It grows in a wide variety of habitats, including citrus orchards and pine plantations. And it can grow in most soils, although it’s most common closer to the coast, where it invades woodlands and other open coastal vegetation.

Bridal Creeper is particularly vigorous in alkaline sandy soils and also thrives in areas high in nutrients such as drainage lines. Roadsides next to farms, for example, are favoured sites because of increased nutrient levels from fertilised paddocks. Bridal creeper is frost tolerant and it has a perennial root system which enables it to survive summer drought.

There are concerns that Bridal creeper could extend its current distribution into south-eastern Queensland and further increase its density in regions where it is present but not widespread, eg the central north and far south-east coasts of Western Australia and northern and south-western Victoria. There are biological controls but these will take a couple of years to establish themselves. In the meantime, herbicide is the best method to eliminate it.

Biological control

Three of its natural enemies have been released in Australia: the bridal creeper leafhopper (Zygina sp.), rust fungus (Puccinia myrsiphylli) and leaf beetle (Crioceris sp.).

The bridal creeper leafhopper has been released at more than 700 sites throughout southern Australia since 1999. The adult insect is white, 2-3 mm long and lives on the underside of bridal creeper leaves. Both the adult and juvenile stages feed on the leaves of the plant.

The bridal creeper rust fungus was released in 2000 and more than 700 releases have been made across Australia. The rust fungus attacks leaves and stems, reducing the amount of green plant material. It can produce many generations a year, resulting in large amounts of wind-dispersed spores.

The techniques to redistribute the leafhopper and the rust fungus are described in detail on the CSIRO website, which also has a map of release site locations www.ento.csiro.au/bridalcreeper.

The bridal creeper leaf beetle (Crioceris sp.) was first released in 2002 in Western Australia. The grubs of the beetle can cause major damage to bridal creeper by stripping the shoots and leaves that enable the plant to climb. Stopping the plant from climbing prevents it from fruiting and spreading to new areas. Trial releases are continuing.

Control Measures:

Prevent new areas from becoming infested by safely disposing of garden waste.

Spraying herbicide is the most effective method of controlling bridal creeper.

Biological control is also having an impact in many areas; local communities can become involved in rearing and releasing the bridal creeper leafhopper and spreading the rust fungus.

It will take many years for the biological control agents to reduce the density of bridal creeper due to the huge reserves stored in the underground tubers.

Sources:

Department of the Environment & Heritage (http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/a-asparagoides.html)

Blood, K., 2001, Environmental Weeds – A Field Guide, CH Jerram Science Publishers.

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