Asparagus asparagoides
NPPA pest plant
Environmental Weed (2024)
Common names
smilax
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Lianes - Monocots
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Scrambling or twining perennial. White, fleshy, tuberous roots in dense clusters. Stems to 3 m, green or slightly woody, twisted, thin and wiry, branched. Leaves are actually cladodes (flattened leaf-like stems), solitary at each node, 10-35 x 4- 15 mm, flat, ovalish, pointed, with approx. 7 veins. Flowers greenish-white, 5-6 mm, July-Aug. Round red berry, 6-10 mm, 2-8 tiny black seeds.
Similar taxa
Leaf-like cladodes distinguish A. asparagoides from other Asparagus species.
Habitat
Terrestrial. Thrives in impoverished soils, bare rock and volcanic soils. Likes good drainage. Coastal areas, open rocklands, shrubland, roadsides, hedges, wastelands, inshore and offshore islands. Plants are typically found under tree canopies which is largely due to bird movement but also reflects greater seedling establishment in leaf litter and better growth in shaded or part-shaded environments.
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Ecology
Flowering
August, September, October
Year naturalised
1905
Origin
trop & S. Africa
Reason for introduction
Ornamental.
Tolerances
Shade tolerant, tolerant of all but the wettest soils. Can tolerate a wide range of pH. Fleshy tubers enable tolerance of low light intensities, drought, frosts and saline soils.
Life cycle and dispersal
Winter perennial; in warm regions such as Auckland, the plant can remain in leaf all year. Reproduces from seed and from a short, thick rhizome which produces root tubers. Most buried seed germinates and the remainder rot within 2 years. However, seeds on the soil surface may be viable for at least 3 years. Compared to other weeds, this species has a short-lived seedbank. Seeds germinate in autumn or winter, in leaf litter and at soil depths of up to 10cm. Seedlings produce at least one tuber in their first year. New shoots emerge each year in autumn from the perennial root system. The root system eventually grows into an extensive ”mat” of branching rhizomes and numerous fleshy tubers. The mat is generally 5-10 cm below the soil surface and up to 10cm thick making up most of the plants biomass. Shoots typically emerge from the soil in Autumn. The shoots scramble across the ground and climb shrubs and trees. The stems are twisting, grow up to 3 m in length and branch extensively. Plants take at least 3 years to reach flowering size. Bridal creeper leaves turn yellow and fall, and stems die back in late spring-early summer, as temperatures rise and soils become dry (National Weeds Strategy Report, 2001). Berries are eaten by birds, and dispersed over long distances. Rhizomes spread along coasts and roadsides by soil and water movement and garden waste.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FACU: Facultative Upland
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
asparagus: An old Greek name for this plant possibly derived from a- (an intensifier) and sparasso ‘to tear’, referring to the prickles of some species
National Pest Plant Accord species
This plant is listed in the 2020 National Pest Plant Accord. The National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) is an agreement to prevent the sale and/or distribution of specified pest plants where either formal or casual horticultural trade is the most significant way of spreading the plant in New Zealand. For up to date information and an electronic copy of the 2020 Pest Plant Accord manual (including plant information and images) visit the MPI website.
Environmental Weed (2024)
This plant is named in a list of 386 environmental weeds in New Zealand 2024 prepared by DOC. 759 candidate species were considered for inclusion on this new comprehensive list of environmental weeds in New Zealand. The species considered were drawn from published lists of weed species, lists of plants that must be reported or managed by law if observed, existing national and regional programmes and agreements for pest management, and species already managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). Candidate species were then assessed to see if they were fully naturalised and whether they have more than minor impacts in natural ecosystems. Read the full report here.
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
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