Mile-a-minute
Ipomoea cairica
family
Convolvulaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Council Pest Vegetation (BCC Natural Asset Local Law)
Council Pest Vegetation (BCC Natural Asset Local Law)
Common names
Mile-a-minute, Mile a minute, Coastal morning glory, Cairo morning glory, Five-fingered morning glory, Five-leaf morning glory, Messina creeper.
A rampant climber or creeper with hairless slender stems. Its very distinctive leaves have 5-7 finger-like lobes. Its large purple, purplish-pink or whitish tubular flowers (4-6 cm long and 5-8 cm across) have a darker centre its small capsules (10-12 mm across) turn brown as they mature and contain four seeds. These seed are partly covered in long silky hairs.
Impact
Impact
Coastal morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) is a significant environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales and on Norfolk Island. It is also an environmental weed of some importance in Western Australia and on Lord Howe Island, and regarded as a potential environmental weed in Victoria. This species is capable of very rapid growth and can completely smother trees and understorey plants, but it will creep along the ground in the absence of supporting vegetation. Significant infestations may lead to a reduction in biodiversity through the replacement of native vegetation and the displacement of certain native animals. It is particularly common in the coastal districts of eastern Australia, where it often invades river banks and riparian vegetation. It also commonly invades rainforest margins, where it grows over larger trees and smothers tree saplings and understorey shrubs, and is a major problem in littoral rainforest remnants. However, it is also a weed of sandy beachfronts and other coastal environments, drier forests, wetlands, and limestone cliffs.Coastal morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) is ranked among the top 30 environmental weeds in south-eastern Queensland, and among the 10 worst weeds in Gold Coast City. This species is actively managed by community groups in Queensland and appears on numerous local environmental weed lists in south-eastern Queensland (e.g. in Redland, Noosa and Maroochy Shires). It is also of significant concern in the coastal districts of northern and central New South Wales, where it also appears on several local and regional environmental weed lists (e.g. in Randwick Shire, Strathfield Shire, Lismore City and Sutherland Shire, on the NSW North Coast environmental weed list, and on the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators environmental weed list for the the wider Sydney and Blue Mountains region).Coastal morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) has invaded conservation areas in both of these states (e.g. Maroochy River Conservation Park in Queensland and Sturt National Park and Ballina Nature Reserve in New South Wales).
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Coastal morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) is a significant environmental weed in Queensland, New South Wales and on Norfolk Island. It is also an environmental weed of some importance in Western Australia and on Lord Howe Island, and regarded as a potential environmental weed in Victoria. This species is capable of very rapid growth and can completely smother trees and understorey plants, but it will creep along the ground in the absence of supporting vegetation. Significant infestations may lead to a reduction in biodiversity through the replacement of native vegetation and the displacement of certain native animals. It is particularly common in the coastal districts of eastern Australia, where it often invades river banks and riparian vegetation. It also commonly invades rainforest margins, where it grows over larger trees and smothers tree saplings and understorey shrubs, and is a major problem in littoral rainforest remnants. However, it is also a weed of sandy beachfronts and other coastal environments, drier forests, wetlands, and limestone cliffs.Coastal morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) is ranked among the top 30 environmental weeds in south-eastern Queensland, and among the 10 worst weeds in Gold Coast City. This species is actively managed by community groups in Queensland and appears on numerous local environmental weed lists in south-eastern Queensland (e.g. in Redland, Noosa and Maroochy Shires). It is also of significant concern in the coastal districts of northern and central New South Wales, where it also appears on several local and regional environmental weed lists (e.g. in Randwick Shire, Strathfield Shire, Lismore City and Sutherland Shire, on the NSW North Coast environmental weed list, and on the Australian Association of Bush Regenerators environmental weed list for the the wider Sydney and Blue Mountains region).Coastal morning glory (Ipomoea cairica) has invaded conservation areas in both of these states (e.g. Maroochy River Conservation Park in Queensland and Sturt National Park and Ballina Nature Reserve in New South Wales).
