TOSSI – The dreaded moth plant

Moth PlantLeft, seed pods. Right, Seedling.I had planned a different topic for this month’s column, but just recently there was an invasive weed issue in the park, which prompted a change of plan.

Hopefully, this will help more of us identify this very invasive and highly destructive weed called moth plant, also known as kapok plant, milk vine and milk weed, which originates from South America.The team of volunteers who meet every Tuesday at the nursery do lots of different jobs related to the plants that are on the park. They germinate and nurture seedlings, collect seeds, grow plants ready for planting season, go back to planting sites to release trees, check the protection cages, collect cages, clear invasive weeds and carry out infill planting.



The list is pretty extensive. On one of their excursions, they happened upon a sizable moth plant, a weed that rarely makes it onto the park.Why is it such a problem? It is a rapid growing vine that kills and smothers natives by getting into the canopy.

It produces many pretty flowers so, yes, it does look amazing in the treetops. But these flowers turn into massive choko-like pods filled with seeds and it can establish in virtually any environment. The only natural condition it does not like is frost, which means it thrives anywhere and everywhere in the North Island.

It is particularly bad for our butterflies – their feeding parts get gummed up and they starve to death. Its sticky white sap is also toxic to humans and can cause dermatitis reactions in many.Its ability to spread is impressive.

The pods have thousands of down-like seeds inside them and when they explode, these seeds are dispersed by the wind. So, the ones recently found on the park will have come from one of our backyards. They can also produce lots of seedlings nearby the mother plant, and these take hold very quickly and often unnoticed.

I encourage everyone to check their properties. Look for a vine with white sap, abundance of flowers in the canopy and choko-like pods. If you find it, pull out any seedlings, cut and paste at the base of a bigger vine, collect pods and destroy.

Make sure you wear gloves to protect yourself from irritation. For more informationhttps://www.weedbusters.

org.nz/what-are-weeds/weed-list/mothplant/.