|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
This Father’s Day, plenty of dads may spend time in the garden, but one backyard problem has the potential to turn even the happiest dad into a grumpy old chap – old man’s beard.
Despite its harmless-sounding name, old man’s beard (Clematis vitalba) is one of New Zealand’s most destructive invasive plants.
According to the Department of Conservation (DOC), the fast-growing deciduous climber can smother large areas of native forest, climbing over trees and shrubs, blocking sunlight and even breaking branches under the weight of its vines.
No matter how active human dads may be, they’re unlikely to prove anywhere near so awful for our environment.
Old man’s beard doesn’t just overwhelm plants – by killing native trees and shrubs, it also destroys vital food sources as well as habitats for native birds, lizards and insects.
Recognisable by its fluffy, feathery seed heads, plants produce creamy white flowers, summer to early autumn.
Individual stems can grow up to 10 metres in a single season, trailing stems can take root wherever they touch the ground, and a single plant may produce more than 100,000 seeds each year.
Wind and water disperse the seeds, allowing the weed to invade roadsides, riverbanks, gardens, hedges, shelterbelts and forest edges.
Small seedlings can be pulled out by hand; larger plants should be cut close to the ground and the roots dug out where practical.
Cut vines should be left in trees to die before removal, helping avoid damage to host trees.
Herbicides can be effective, spraying between November and March.
Cutting vines in winter or spring and treating regrowth in autumn provides one of the most effective control methods.
Always consult directions when using herbicides. Controlling old man’s beard requires persistence as it is unlikely to be eliminated in a single season and monitoring treated areas for regrowth is needed.
For more information see tiakitamakimakaurau. nz, Conservation Auckland’s website, and search ‘old man’s beard.
As for the human variety, perhaps a razor would make a nice Father’s Day gift and serve as subtle hint that perhaps a little weed control is needed for him too.
