Devil’s pumpkin is native to Central and South America and is declared a Category 1 invasive plant. It is a tendril climber or creeper and can reach a height of up to 6m. Leaves are deeply three-lobed and the flowers, which appear from November to April, have greenish-yellow sepals (outer part of a flower that encloses a developing bud) and no petals. Flowers are followed by green berries, which turn purple or black when ripe.
As the stems become older they resemble rough, white string with a corky texture.
This creeper invades forests, woodlands, bush clumps, roadsides, river banks, coastal dunes and gardens and must be removed.
To eradicate this creeper: Trace the stem back to the root. Small plants can be pulled, but older plants should be cut off at ground level and painted with a suitable herbicide mix. Young plants can also be spot sprayed with an appropriate herbicide
Recent Comments