Weedbusters Balloon vine

Also known as: Cardiospermum grandiflorum, heart seed vine Found: top half of the North Island

Features Fast-growing

climber, can reach up to 10m up trees. It has ribbed stems covered in short, bristly yellow hairs, light green, hairy leaves, and white-pale yellow flowers for most of the year. The puffy, balloon-like seed capsules (4-8cm long) are thin and papery, ripening from green to straw-coloured in autumn, and contain three black seeds (7mm).

How to control it

Contact your regional council – some will pay for a contractor to dispose of the plant at their expense.

Hand pull plants, or cut the stem and paint it with glyphosate (333ml per litre). The key to stopping its spread is to find and remove the original parent plant which is the main seed source, so regularly check the area for any regrowth.