Chocolate vine

Flowering in spring with brown-purple, flattened, sausage-shaped pods, chocolate vine smothers native vegetation and prevents the establishment of seedlings.

Description

• Less than 20m tall, scrambling vine.
• Leaves are lobed with up to five leaflets under 75mm long.
• Flowers are brown-purple and visible in spring.
• Pods are purple, flattened and sausage-shaped, ripening in late summer.
• Spreads vegetatively. Human-mediated dispersal through mowing, soil movement, contaminated machinery, and deliberate plantings.
• Habitats include roadsides, forest margins, scrub and hedgerows.

What you need to know

Smothers native vegetation and prevents the establishment of seedlings.

Management approach

Chocolate vine is an unwanted organism regulated under the National Plant Pest Accord.

National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA)

The NPPA prevents the sale, distribution and propagation of specified pest plants within Aotearoa/New Zealand and is administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

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.

See the MPI website for more information on the NPPA.

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

Cut and pull vines away from desirable trees and native plants before foliar spraying. 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

Cut vines and leave upper stems to die in trees or dig out.

Plant parts requiring disposal: All parts (except vines left to die in trees).

Compost in a composting weed bag or contact your local council for appropriate disposal locations.

Chemical control

No qualifications:

For small infestations: cut stump and paste freshly cut base of stems with double strength glyphosate gel or cut stump and spray freshly cut base of stems with 200ml glyphosate per 1L of water.

Basic Growsafe certified:

For small infestations: Cut vines at waist height and foliar spray vines on the ground with 200ml glyphosate per 10L of water.

Certified handler/experienced agrichemical user:

For medium to large infestations: Cut vines at waist height and foliar spray vines on the ground 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.