Old Man’s Beard must go

opposed to smooth.

Natives are evergreen but ‘‘the old man’’ loses his leaves in winter.

When it comes to tackling this pest plant, remember the ads: ‘‘Old Man’s Beard must go. A trim is not enough!’’

Cut the main stems as close to the ground as possible. Paint the stumps with herbicide.

Leave cut hanging vines in the tree until they die before pulling out – that will ensure less chance of re-sprouting or damage to the tree beneath.

Small seedlings can be pulled out by hand.

Check each spring for regrowth and new seedlings.

If you’re looking for a replacement option, then alternatives to plant are native clematis. The C.paniculata is a hardy climber with large white flowers.

C.marata scrambles through shrubs with small yellow flowers. C.foetida has strong lemonscented flowers, while the native jasmine Parsonsia capularis is also lovely.

The biosecurity team at Waikato Regional Council needs to know where this nasty pest is so if you see this weed on your property call 0800 BIOSEC (0800 246 732) to report them to your local biosecurity pest plant officer.

Go to www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/oldmans-beard/ for more control information.