Mikania vine
Alert
Be on the lookout for mikania vine. You must report all sightings within 24 hours.
Report sightings
- Report online
- Contact us online, by phone or in person
Mikania leaves and stem
© Queensland Government
Mikania vine in flower
© Queensland Government
Mikania plant form
© Queensland Government
Mikania seedling
© Queensland Government
Mikania vine flowers
© Queensland Government
Mikania seeds
© Queensland Government
Native to the Americas, mikania vine is a multi-stemmed perennial creeper and climber. It rapidly chokes and smothers areas it has colonised.
Mikania vine is a serious weed in West Africa, India, South-East Asia, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands. In Australia, it has been found in North Queensland. Suitable growing conditions for mikania vine also exist in eastern Queensland, north-eastern New South Wales, northern Western Australia, and coastal regions of the Northern Territory.
You can identify mikania vine using:
- high-resolution images of mikania vine in our public gallery
- WeedScan app.
You must manage the impacts of mikania vine on your land. You must not give away or sell mikania vine, or release it into the environment.
Scientific name
Other names
- Mile-a-minute, bitter vine, American rope, Chinese creeper, climbing hemp vine
Similar species
- Climbing groundsels
- Antigonon leptopus (coral vine)
- Passiflora foetida (stinking passionfruit)
- Ipomoea alba (white morning glory)
Description
- Mikania is a multi-stemmed perennial vine.
- Leaves are heart-shaped, 4–13cm long, tapered to an acute point, and arranged in opposite pairs along the stem.
- Stems are slender and ribbed, with fine white hairs.
- Leaf stalks range between 2cm and 8cm long.
- Flower heads contain clusters of white flowers and are 4–6mm long.
- Seeds are black, 1.5–2mm long, thin and 5-angled, and each seed has a pappus.
Habitat
- Humid environments where rainfall exceeds 1,000mm per year
- Rich, damp soils
Distribution
- Visit the Weeds Australia website and click on the distribution tab to access the distribution map.
Life cycle
- Predominantly flowers in May and occasionally in October.
Affected animals
- Native animals
Impacts
Environmental
- Spreads rapidly and smothers native vegetation.
- Grows rapidly during the monsoonal period with observations of up to 9cm per day under ideal conditions.
- Threatens World Heritage areas (rainforests) in North Queensland.
Economic
- Invades plantation and agricultural crops, and commercial forests in other countries.
How it is spread
- Mikania vine reproduces by seed and vegetatively.
- A stem fragment with a single node can readily produce roots in moist soil.
- Each plant produces about 40,000 seeds per year. These can be readily transported by wind or water.
- Seed movement also occurs by machinery, animals or contaminated domestic garden or agricultural products.
- Stem fragments are easily transported along watercourses and by people moving machinery.
Prevention
Control
Contact us online, by phone or in person if you find a plant you suspect may be mikania vine. We will provide advice on control options.
Biological control
A biological control agent (rust) has been tested and approved for release in Australia but has not yet been released.
Legal requirements
- Mikania vine is a category 2, 3, 4 and 5 restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014.
- You must not keep, move, give away or sell mikania vine, or release it into the environment. Penalties may apply.
- You must report all sightings within 24 hours.
- You must take all reasonable and practical measures under your control to minimise the biosecurity risks associated with dealing with mikania vine. This is called your general biosecurity obligation (GBO).
- Each local government must have a biosecurity plan that covers invasive plants in its area. This plan may include actions to be taken on mikania vine. Some of these actions may be required under local laws. Contact your local government for more information.