Weed Control Guide - Groundcover and Creepers

8. GROUNDCOVER & CREEPERSCape IvyCape Ivy is more of a scrambling shrub than a true climber. It has thick fleshyleaves with and angular shape and thick stems and flowers abundantly in winter. Itgrows rapidly and densely covering native shrubs up to two metres tall. Control isachieved by spraying with triclopyr and penetrant, or where growth covers nativevegetation then slash to clear the ivy from the native plants and spray re-growthwithin three months.German IvyGerman Ivy is a perennial climber of the daisy family with thin ivy-like leaves onsmooth stems with small ear-like projections at base of the leaf stalks. It producesclusters of yellow daisy-like flowers from winter to spring. German Ivy is dispersedby windblown seeds and inhabits disturbed sites and forest margins, particularly incoastal areas. It can form dense infestations that can smother host species.Scattered plants can be eradicated by digging or hand-pulling, but more intensiveinfestations are most readily control by cutting away the foliage and spraying thestems with glyphosate or metsulfuron and penetrant.

NasturtiumNasturtium is a low threat plant pest which is easily controlled with glyphosate basedherbicide and a penetrant. It is a low priority for control.Tutsan (Hypericum)Tutsan is a small semi-evergreen, shrub or semi-groundcover plant that grows up to1.5 m high. It is sometimes mistaken for other weeds such as Japanese Honeysucklebut is recognised by the 5-petalled, yellow Hypericum flowers from November toFebruary followed by round red berries that ripen to black, and by its reddish semiwoodystems which have oval leaves growing in opposite pairs. The leaves arebluish-green underneath and usually turn red in autumn. Tutsan is readily seengrowing in waste areas, old gardens and roadsides and it tolerates a wide range ofenvironmental conditions. This weed thrives along disturbed bush margins,shrubland and low-growing habitats, invading regenerating sites and forming densestands that prevent establishment of native plant seedlings.Small plants can be controlled by digging them out and leaving them on site to rotdown. Larger plants can be cut down and stump swabbed (spring-summer only)with metsulfuron (e.g. Escort). Alternatively, infestations can be sprayed fromNovember to January with glyphosate (e.g. Roundup), or metsulfuron or triclopyr(e.g. Tordon). Whichever herbicide is used a penetrant such as Pulse must be used.The timing of herbicide application is important and follow up control will benecessary to get any plants that re-sprout from the roots or from dormant seed inthe ground.

Tradescantia (Wandering Jew or Wandering Willie)Tradescantia (Wandering Jew) is a dense matting, succulent ground cover with darkgreen, waxy leaves. It grows in a variety of light conditions but prefers semi-shadeor full shade and damp areas, finding conditions under native forest and aroundwaterways ideal. Although it doesn’t grow more that half a metre high it formsdense, smothering mats to the exclusion of native seedlings or anything else on theforest floor. Left uncontrolled it seriously impedes native forest succession andinhibits ongoing food availability for invertebrates and birds. Tradescantia is bestcontrolled by spraying with a triclopyr based herbicide (e.g. Tordon) and a wettingagent such as Pulse penetrant, or by raking and hand weeding, or by a combinationof both methods. It spreads vegetatively with any small plant fragments in groundcontact readily re-rooting so vigilance is necessary. When eradicating this weedwithout herbicide the waste must be dried and burnt or disposed of at a properlandfill but not in a greenwaste collection.