Banana passionfruit
Botanical Name
Passiflora tarminiana
Family
Passifloraceae (passionfruit)
Also known as
Banana passion flower, wild blue-crown, wild passion vine. Both spp virtually identical in appearance and characteristics.
Where is it originally from?
Latin America
What does it look like?
Vigorous, evergreen, high-climbing vines (<10 m) with long, densely hairy stems which are angular when young, and which have many spiralling tendrils. Leaves are 3-lobed (each lobe 5-14 cm long) with middle lobe the longest, edges serrated, and undersides covered in down. From Jan-Dec pink hanging flowers (7 cm diameter) with central tube (60-95 mm long) are followed by hanging, thin-skinned fruit (7-12 x 2-4 cm) ripening from green to yellow or orange, with sweet edible orange pulp and dark red seeds (4-6 mm long).
Are there any similar species?
P. pinnatastipula, P. antioquiensis, P. caerulea (qv), P. edulis (qv).
Why is it weedy?
Grows to medium-high canopy, where it forms large masses. Grows rapidly in most soil types, and produces highly viable seed in two years. Partly tolerant to shade, damage and drought, and stems root where they touch the ground.
How does it spread?
Birds, feral pigs and possums carry seeds some distance. Also humans (via eating or discarded fruit). Hedges, orchards, exotic plantations, waste land, gardens, roadsides.
What damage does it do?
Smothers canopy, prevents native plants from establishing. Allows faster-growing or tougher vines to succeed it in dominating canopy. Appears in light wells away from parent plant.
Which habitats is it likely to invade?
Disturbed and open forest, light wells and margins of intact bush, streamsides, coastline, cliffs, consolidated sand dunes, inshore islands.
What can I do to get rid of it?
1. Physical removal: Pull roots up (all year round). Dispose of plant material at a landfill or refuse transfer station.
tip Cut off above ground or tie stems in air to prevent them forming roots on contact with soil.
2. Cut and paste: Cut the stem/trunk as close to the ground as possible and cover the entire stump with herbicide as soon as possible after cutting. Apply glyphosate gel (120g/L strength) or metsulfuron gel (10g/L strength) or picloram gel (43g/l strength) to the entire cut stem.
3. Foliar spray (knapsack rates below. Refer to label for gun and hose rates)
Apply Glyphosate herbicide (360 g/L active ingredient) at 20ml/L to cover entire plant. Note: Glyphosate overspray will kill other (desirable) plants
OR Apply triclopyr herbicide (600g/L active ingredient) at 6ml/L plus organosilicone penetrant (label rate).
OR Apply Picloram/triclopyr herbicide (picloram 100g/l and triclopyr 300g/l active ingredient) at 6ml/L plus organosilicone penetrant (label rate) to thoroughly wet all parts of plant.
Note: Triclopyr and picloram are 'grass friendly' but overspray will kill other (desirable) broadleaf plants. Picloram has residual activity in the soil which may leach through soil and kill other plants. Do not use under and around other (desirable) broadleaf plants. Do not use over water bodies or wetlands and use only as directed on label.
CAUTION: When using any herbicide or pesticide, PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY to ensure that all instructions and directions for the purchase, use and storage of the product, are followed and adhered to.
What can I do to stop it coming back?
Check for regrowth regularly and pull new seedlings as they emerge. Seeds can be bird spread, so check for seedlings under trees and shrubs that birds are likely to perch in.
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