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Asparagus weeds (Asparagus spp.)

A group of introduced asparagus species, including bridal creeper and ground asparagus, that smother native understorey with dense foliage and mats of tubers below ground.

Key facts

Type: Weed, vine and creeper.

Native to: Southern Africa.

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, WA.

Other names: Bridal creeper, Bridal veil, Ground asparagus, Climbing asparagus fern.

Best time to act: Treat in winter to spring when bridal creeper is actively growing and before berries ripen.

Identification

  • Climbing or scrambling plants with fine, fern-like or glossy leaf-like stems (cladodes).
  • Small white flowers followed by red, orange or black berries depending on the species.
  • A dense underground mat of tubers and rhizomes that can make up most of the plant's mass.

Where it grows

Coastal dunes, woodland, rainforest margins, riparian corridors and gardens, particularly in shaded, undisturbed bushland.

Why it matters

  • Root mats stop native seedlings from establishing.
  • Climbing stems smother shrubs and small trees.
  • Reduces habitat value for ground-dwelling fauna.

How it spreads

  • Berries eaten and spread by birds and foxes.
  • Dumped garden waste and moved soil carrying tubers.

Control options

  • Remove the crown and tubers of small infestations by hand, bagging material for disposal.
  • Foliar treatment with registered herbicides during active growth.
  • Biological control agents (rust fungus and leafhopper) are well established on bridal creeper in southern Australia.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Do not move soil, mulch or green waste from infested areas.
  • Bag fruiting material before transport.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): Weed of National Significance. One of 32 nationally agreed priority weeds, managed through national strategies with all states and territories.
  • Queensland: Restricted matter, categories 2, 3, 4, 5. Report it to Biosecurity Queensland within 24 hours; do not give it away, sell or release it into the environment; do not move it; do not keep it. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Prohibited matter. It is an offence to deal with it, and you must notify NSW DPIRD as soon as you become aware of it.
  • Victoria: Restricted weed. Where it is a restricted weed, trade in it (including the plant, its seed or contaminated material) is prohibited.
  • South Australia: Declared plant. Depending on the declaration, it can be an offence to move it on public roads or sell it, and landowners may be required to control it on their land.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (no control category). Declared pest in WA without a control category, so there is no state-wide control requirement, but movement and keeping rules can still apply.
  • Tasmania: Declared weed. Property managers are required by law to control declared weeds, and their import and sale are prohibited.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Declared pest. It is a declared pest throughout the ACT.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources