Asparagus Weeds

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> About Asparagus Weeds

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Bridal Creeper

About the Asparagus Weeds Working Group

The Asparagus Weeds Working Group (AWWG) was formed in 1999 in response to community concern regarding the spread of Western Cape Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides), common form of Bridal Creeper (A. asparagoides), Bridal Veil (A. declinatus) and other Asparagus weeds in the southern Fleurieu Peninsula region. The main aim of the AWWG was to develop and enact a strategic, coordinated, regional approach to managing Asparagus weeds and consequently to protect biodiversity in the region.

In 2006, the AWWG expanded its geographic area of interest to include the area covered by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management (AMLR NRM) Board.

About Asparagus Weeds

Seven Asparagus weeds are known to have naturalised in the AMLR NRM Board region:

• Bridal Creeper (Asparagus asparagoides)  
• Western Cape Bridal Creeper (A. asparagoides)   DOWNLOAD FACTSHEET
• Bridal Veil (A. declinatus)
• Asparagus Fern (A. scandens)
• Edible Asparagus (A. officinalis)
• Climbing Asparagus Fern (A. setaceus) 
• Ground Asparagus (A. aethiopicus)

The Western Cape and common form of Bridal Creeper and Bridal Veil are declared plants under the South Australian Natural Resources Management Act 2004 which means landholders are obliged to control these plants on their property. The other four Asparagus species are not declared in South Australia, however, they still pose a considerable threat to biodiversity values in the AMLR NRM Board region.

Asparagus plants have been introduced to Australia from their native South Africa for ornamental or horticultural purposes. Asparagus weeds are generally characterised by non-woody, scrambling/climbing, annual shoots, a perennial root system of rhizomes (bearing shoot buds) and tuberous roots (storing nutrients and energy), and reproduction by berries and through the spreading of rhizomes.

Asparagus species are aggressive and highly invasive weeds that are capable of smothering native ground flora and small shrubs. They form a thick underground tuberous root mass, which inhibits growth of other plants and prevents overstorey regeneration. Asparagus weeds are dispersed by birds eating the fruits and voiding the seeds, and are also spread by humans through plantings and dumped garden waste. Currently the Western Cape and common form of Bridal Creeper, Bridal Veil and Asparagus Fern represent the main threats to biodiversity within the AMLR NRM Board region, with the other Asparagus weeds being limited in extent and/or impacts.

The Western Cape form of Bridal Creeper is a close relative to the common form of Bridal Creeper, which is declared a Weed of National Significance. The Western Cape form has similar characteristics and impacts to that of the common form of Bridal Creeper. It has the potential to reinfest areas where the common Bridal Creeper has been controlled, undoing years of effective weed management. The Western Cape form was first found growing in Anstey Hill RP in 2006 and further survey work confirmed its presence on nearby roadsides and private properties. In 2008 another infestation was found in the Houghton area containing mature plants, raising concerns that the Western Cape has spread beyond its currently known extent.

The Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board in partnership with Department of Water Land Biodiversity and Conservation is currently searching roadsides and private properties in the Houghton, Paracombe and Inglewood area and would like to know if you have seen the Western Cape form of Bridal Creeper. Download the Western Cape Bridal Creeper identification sheet for further information. If you suspect you have the Western Cape form, please report it to Susan Lawrie.

The AWWG is continuing to work towards control of Asparagus weeds within the AMLR NRM Board area by adopting new priority sites with high conservation value. Control works centre on and around these priority sites in an effort to contain or eradicate any Asparagus weeds that may be threatening biodiversity values.

Other activities initiated by the AWWG include:

• implementing a control program for the Western Cape Bridal Creeper in the Anstey Hill RP region. Searching of private properties and roadsides for new infestations is a priority in 2008.
• the widespread distribution of the Rust Fungus (Puccinia myrsiphylli) - a biological control agent for Bridal Creeper; (visit www.weeds.org.au/WoNS/bridalcreeper/ for more information on biocontrol for Bridal Creeper)
  mapping the distribution of Bridal Veil and Asparagus Fern and implementing appropriate control programs for these weeds;
• identifying emerging Asparagus weeds, such as Climbing Asparagus and Ground Asparagus, with the aim to control them before they spread and become unmanageable;
• raising awareness of the threat and management of Asparagus weeds in the AMLR NRM Board region through the following means: 
  
  -  media articles raising awareness about Asparagus weeds in local and statewide newspapers;
  -  display of posters and Asparagus weed specimens in local shops or Council foyers encouraging people to contact the AWWG if they know of any Asparagus infestations;
  - weed management incentives in the form of herbicides and spray units (for sporewater purposes) are made available to people living in close proximity to priority sites;
  - holding workshops on how to identify Asparagus weeds and demonstrating the new Rust Fungus ‘sporewater’ technique; 
  - information displays and ‘live’ specimens of Asparagus weeds in pots exhibited at field days held throughout the region.

Contact:
Phone: (08) 389 6166
Mobile: 0438 885 165
Email: susan.lawrie@adelaide.nrm.sa.gov.au

Postal Address:
PO Box 37
Lobethal SA 5241