Mikania is a creeping or twining, branched vine with heart-shaped leaves that climbs up to 20 m high. It can smother native vegetation, plantation crops, forests and infrastructure.
Mikania vine grows so quickly that it is also known as ‘mile-a minute’. It:
Mikania is a sprawling perennial vine. It can grow up to 20 m high on supporting vegetation. Young shoots twine around the plant’s own main stem until it finds something else to grow on. If there is nothing to climb on, it grows along the ground.
These vines can have similar foliage but all have yellow rather than white or cream flowers:
Mikania vine does not currently grow in NSW but coastal northern NSW has a suitable climate for this weed to spread if introduced.
In Australia, the first Mikania vine infestation was discovered in far north Queensland in 1998. An eradication campaign aims to get rid of the infestations in Queensland.
Mikania vine is native to Central and South America.
It is a major weed of agriculture in the tropical areas of South and Southeast Asia and also a problem on Pacific and Indian Ocean islands.
Mikania vine thrives in open, sunny, disturbed areas. It grows best in warm and humid tropical climates with rich, damp soils and annual rainfall of more than 1000 mm. It can tolerate partial shade.
Mikania plants can start flowering as young as 4 months of age. Each vine can produce around 40,000 seeds per year. The seeds in the soil can remain viable for up to 7 years. The tuft of hairs on each seed helps the wind disperse the seeds. Water, animals and machinery can also transport seeds.
Plants can grow from root pieces or stem fragments which form roots at the nodes. Cultivation can break up and spread viable stem fragments. These can be spread by machinery or water.
Brooks, S. J., Panetta, F. D., & Galway, K. E. (2008). Progress towards the eradication of mikania vine (Mikania micrantha) and limnocharis (Limnocharis flava) in northern Australia. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 1(3), 296-303.
Brooks, S. & Gough, K. (2022). Age and size of flowering Mikania micrantha plants raised in a controlled environment. Australaisian Weeds Conference 2022 Poster Presentation.
Hosking J.R., Sainty G.R., Jacobs S.W.L. & Dellow L.L. (in prep) The Australian WeedBOOK.
Queensland Government—Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (2011) Fact sheet—Mikania vine Mikania micrantha.
Zhang, L. Y., Ye, W. H., Cao, H. L., & Feng, H. L. (2004). Mikania micrantha HBK in China–an overview. Weed Research, 44(1), 42-49.
Please do not attempt to treat or dispose of this weed yourself. Report this plant if you see it anywhere in NSW by calling the helpline listed at the top of this page immediately.
NSW DPI will lead an initial response for the treatment and disposal of the plant to stop it from spreading.
Since Mikania vine is not established in NSW, finding new infestations early gives us the best chance of eradicating it.
Any infestations will require at least 7 years of followup monitoring.
See Using herbicides for more information.
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L
(Comet® 200 herbicide)
Rate: 500 mL to 1 L per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
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: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L
(Comet® 200 herbicide)
Rate: 35 mL per L diesel/kerosene
Comments: Basal 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: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
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
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: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
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
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: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
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
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
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: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
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: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
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: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg
(Various products)
Rate: 10 - 20g per 100 L water plus surfactant
Comments: Spot spray
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: B, Inhibitors of acetolactate synthase (ALS 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: B, Inhibitors of acetolactate synthase (ALS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High
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. |
All of NSW |
Prohibited Matter
A person who deals with prohibited matter or a carrier of prohibited matter is guilty of an offence. A person who becomes aware of or suspects the presence of prohibited matter must immediately notify the Department of Primary Industries *all species in the genus Mikania are Prohibited Matter in NSW |
Reviewed 2022