One of Illawarra's most annoying weedy vines, Moth Vine (Araujia sericifera), needs to be controlled, but it can easily be confused with some of its native relatives in the Apocynaceae (or Dogbane) family This guest post from Grant Weyman will help you tell them apart.
(All images by Grant Weyman unless otherwise specified.)
Introduction
I've written the following guide as no doubt I've inadvertently removed the native Milk Vine (Leichhardtia rostrata, synonym Marsdenia rostrata), but hopefully not the even less common native Hairy Milk Vine (Leichhardtia flavescens, synonym Marsdenia flavescens), which I may have mistaken for Moth Vine (Araujia sericifera). All these vines have a white milky sap.
Silkpod (Parsonsia straminea) is a bit more distinctive with clear or slightly brown sap and rough brown stems.
Other local native vines are not discussed, as they are easily distinguished from Moth Vine.
This not a comprehensive guide: please refer to the resources at the end of this guide for additional information.
Characteristics
Moth Vine (Auraujia sericifera)
Most noticeable is that this vine will exude a white latex-like sap as soon as it is targeted for removal. The sap also has a distinctive 'musty' smell. Gloves must be used for removal as the plant is poisonous. It is quick-growing and spreads easily, including by root suckers. Here are a few images of Moth Vine.
Leaves are triangular/arrow in shape, dull dark green or grey green on top and whitish green underneath, 30-110mm long x 10-60mm wide, thick and leathery in opposite pairs.
Flowers are tube-shaped, with 5 petals, 8-20mm long x 20-25mm wide, creamy white or pink, clusters of 2-5 and bloom November–March.
Fruit is also distinctive and very similar in appearance to a choko, 60-100mm long x 30-70mm wide, pale green/grey turning brown when older, containing many seeds.
Seeds are dark brown 5-8mm with silky white hair 20-30mm long and wind-borne
Stems are dark green, twining/climbing, but woody, light-coloured and rubbery at the base.
Milk Vine (Hairy Milk Vine, Leichhardtia rostrata)
This vine has a white sap but does not exude as prolifically as Moth Vine. The leaves are rounder with the top surface dark green with a lighter green underneath.
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| Fruit of Milk Vine. Image by Kirsten Vine. |
Leaves are generally dark green on top (shiny when mature), light green underneath, rounded (sometimes almost circular) with a distinct point at the tip, most likely 20-70mm wide x 40-130mm long, in opposite pairs. Juvenile leaves can be light in colour.
Flowers are pale yellow with 5 petals, in umbels from September until March, 7-12mm diameter
Fruit is up to 70mm, rounded smooth, green and tapering towards the bottom (plumb bob)
Seeds when mature are small and dark with fluffy white silk.
Stems are green when young but turning brown and woody as the vine matures, up to 40mm diameter and reaching 10m in to the canopy.
NOTE: Hairy Milk Vine is lightly hairy underneath the leaves and stems.
Silkpod Vine (Parsonsia straminea)
This robust vine does not not have white milky sap but clear or slightly brown sap.
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| Silkpod Vine fruit. Image by Emma Rooksby. |
Flowers are fragrant pale yellow in panicles from November until June, 4-5mm long
Fruit is 100-200mm long and quite thin and green
Seeds when mature are small and dark with fluffy white silk
Stems are green when young but quickly turning brown, woody and rough as the vine matures, known to be up to 90mm diameter and reaching 20m in to the canopy
About the author
Grant Weyman has been a member of Berkeley Bushcare and Stream Hill landcare since 2024. Before moving to the Wollongong area he spent 35 years regenerating a 1.4ha block at Falls Creek south of Nowra. He designed and built the first approved strawbale house in the Shoalhaven commencing in 2000. He has been a keen bushwalker and bird watcher since he was a child.
Resources:
https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weed/MothVine
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Araujia~sericifera
https://growing-illawarra-natives.firebaseapp.com/plants/plant/310
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Marsdenia~rostrata
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51689029
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Marsdenia~flavescens
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/taxon/apni/51688956
https://growing-illawarra-natives.firebaseapp.com/plants/plant/356
https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Parsonsia~straminea
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