Bomarea

Bomarea is a multi-stemmed, perennial climbing vine with brightly-coloured flowers. It smothers native vegetation and prevents seedling establishment.

Description

• Leaves are thin, elongated, pale green and pointed.
• Flowers are tubular, red, orange, or gold and hang in clusters from summer to winter.
• Fruit is fleshy, round, bright orange, visible from May to August.
• Dispersed predominantly by birds, vegetative spread from rhizomes and tubers.
• Habitats include disturbed forests, forest margins, lake and riparian margins, and shrublands.

What you need to know

Smothers native vegetation and prevents seedling establishment. Can cause dermatitis or allergic reactions.

Management approach

Bomarea is declared an unwanted organism by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) because it is capable of causing harm to the natural environment, physical resources or human health in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

These species pose a high risk to our environment, economy, recreation, and cultural values.

Rules

Any species declared a pest, including unwanted organisms, cannot be sold or be in a place where plants are being sold. Pest plants cannot be propagated, bred, multiplied, communicated, released, caused to be released, or otherwise spread.

Consider removing this invasive species from your property and consult your local council for appropriate disposal. Consider lower-risk alternatives for your garden, such as native plants.

Control

Site Management

Follow up treated areas three times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after two to three treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Physical control

Dig out.

Plant parts requiring disposal: Seeds, rhizomes and tubers.

Contact your local council for appropriate disposal locations.

Chemical control

No qualifications: Cut stump and paste freshly cut base of stems with glyphosate gel or cut stump and spray freshly cut base of stems with 250ml glyphosate per 1L of water.

Cut back and foliar spray regrowth with 20ml glyphosate per 1L of water.

Certified handler/experienced agrichemical user: Cut back and foliar spray regrowth with 200ml glyphosate per 10L of water and 20ml penetrant.

Caution: When using any herbicide or pesticide please read the label thoroughly to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.

Biological control

Biological control is currently not available for this species.