Corky passionfruit (Passiflora suberosa)

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Corky passionfruit is a climbing vine with small passionfruit flowers and small berries. It spreads quickly and smothers other plants.

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How does this weed affect you?

Corky passionfruit is a weed in native vegetation and agricultural land. It

grows quickly
smothers small trees, shrubs and groundcover plants
may stop other plants from growing
is poisonous
can be a problem in sugar cane and native tree plantations.

Invasion and establishment of exotic vines and scramblers has been identified as a key threatening process for many vulnerable and endangered species in NSW. Corky passionfruit is one of the main species listed as a threat.

Poisoning

Corky passionfruit leaves and unripe fruit contains cyanogenic glycosides. These toxins cause cyanide poisoning if eaten.

Human poisoning

Eating unripe fruit or leaves may cause vomiting or diarrhea.

What to do if a person is poisoned:

If the patient is unconscious, unresponsive or having difficulty breathing dial 000 or get to the emergency section of a hospital immediately.
If the patient is conscious and responsive call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 or your doctor.
If going to a hospital take a piece of the plant for identification.

Livestock poisoning

Cattle, pigs and occasionally sheep have been poisoned. Symptoms include staggering, convulsions muscle tremors and sometimes diarrhea or constipation.

What does it look like?

Corky passionfruit is a slender, climbing or creeping vine with distinct passionfruit flowers. They have lots or tightly coiled tendrils that grow out of leaf forks.

Leaves:

dark green with pointy tips
usually with 3 lobes (sometimes no lobes)
3-10 cm long
alternate along stems
on stalks 5-20 mm long
with small glands halfway along the leaf stalks

Flowers:

similar looking to edible passionfruit flowers
10-30 mm wide
a ring of yellow or white threads with a purple base sitting above pale green ‘petals’
present most of the year.

Fruit:

round berries
6-15 mm diameter
pale green, turning purple-black when ripe.

Seeds:

flattened
wrinkled
3-4 mm long.

Stems:

round or sometimes angular
up to 20 mm thick
smooth or hairy
older stems are corky
up to 6 m long.

Roots:

It has a deep taproot.

Similar looking plants

Corky passionfruit looks similar to other Passiflora species, including:

white passion flower (P. subpeltata), which has hairless leaves with rounded lobes.
stinking passion vine (P. foetida), which has hairy leaves

Corky passionfruit also has smaller flowers and fruit than these other plants.

Where is it found?

Corky passionfruit grows in northern and eastern Australia, including the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. It grows in the coastal districts of northern and central New South Wales.

It is native to southern parts of the United States of America and South America. It is a weed in many countries throughout the pacific region.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Corky passionfruit grows best in full sun in subtropical or tropical climates. It is found in:

forests
woodlands
urban bushland
gardens
waterways
under fenclines
disturbed areas.

It will also grow in shady areas in temperate climates.

How does it spread?

Birds and other animals eat the ripe fruit and spread the seeds.

References

Children's Health Queensland. (2020). Queensland Poisons Information: Wild Passionfruit (Passiflora species). Retrieved 19 February 2020 from: https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/poisonous-plant-wild-passionfruit-passiflora/

Harden, G., McDonald, B., & Williams, J. (2007). Rainforest climbing plants: a field guide to their identification. Gwen Harden Publishing.

McBarron, E. J. (1983). Poisonous plants. Handbook for farmers and graziers. Inkata press.

McKenzie, R. (2012). Australia's poisonous plants, fungi and cyanobacteria: a guide to species of medical and veterinary importance. CSIRO.

Richardson, F. J., Richardson, R. G., & Shepherd, R. C. H. (2011). Weeds of the south-east: an identification guide for Australia (No. Ed. 3). CSIRO.

More information

Control

Corky passionfruit can be controlled by:

hand pulling
slashing or removal of above ground growth
herbicides.

Removing plants before they seed is the most effective way to control them.

Early detection

Learn to identify corky passionfruit and remove plants early to reduce the chance of spread. Small plants are easier to dig up.

Slashing and mulching

Stems can be mown, or whipper-snipped regularly, but this will probably only suppress growth, not kill the plant. Cutting stems down over many years may eventually kill the plants.

Physical removal

Seedlings and small patches of corky passionfruit can be hand pulled or dug out if the roots are not too deep. This can be done year-round but will be easiest when the soil is damp. Try not to break the stem off from the roots because the plant can regrow.

Chemical control

Spot spraying

Spray actively growing plants. Ensure that all of the foliage is covered with the herbicide mix.

Basal barking

Apply herbicide mixed with diesel to cover the lower stem, all the way around the plant.

Splatter gun

Splatter guns can be used for dense infestations of weeds that are difficult to reach. The specialised nozzle produces large droplets that allow plants up to 10 m away to be sprayed with limited chance of spray drift. Spray small amounts of concentrated herbicide onto the weeds. It is not necessary to cover all of the foliage.

Cut scrape and paint

Cut the stems about 40 cm from the ground. Lightly scrape the stem and paint the exposed area with concentrated herbicide within 15 seconds. Do not ringbark the stem.

Weed wipers

Use wipers or wands to apply the herbicide mix to the leaves. This method ensures that desirable plants are not treated with herbicide.

Herbicide options

WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au

See Using herbicides for more information.

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 500 mL to 1 L per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray actively growing plants.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 35 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark: Spray or paint the herbicide mix around the base of each stem from ground level up to at least 30 cm from the ground, wetting the bark to the point of runoff. Apply to dry bark. Old rough bark will require more spray than smooth or young thin bark.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 300 to 600 mL per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray actively growing plants.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 21 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal bark: Spray or paint the herbicide mix around the base of each stem from ground level up to at least 30 cm from the ground, wetting the bark to the point of runoff. Only apply to dry bark. Old rough bark will require more spray than smooth or young thin bark.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 50 parts water
Comments: Spot spray actively growing plants.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 1.5 parts water
Comments: Cut, scrape and paint
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 9 parts water
Comments: Splatter gun
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 20 parts water
Comments: Wipe onto leaves
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 - 20 g per 100 L water plus surfactant
Comments: Spot spray actively growing plants.
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 g per 1 L of water plus surfactant
Comments: Wipe onto leaves
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.

Reviewed 2024