Rubber vine

• This vine climbs up to 30m high in trees, or grows as an untidy shrub up to 2m tall.
• Leaves are dark green, glossy, 6–10cm long and 3–5cm wide. They grow in opposite pairs.
• Leaves, stems and unripe pods exude a white, milky sap when broken or cut.
• Flowers are large and showy, with 5 white to light-purple funnel-shaped petals.
• Seed pods are distinctive and rigid. They grow in pairs at the end of a short stalk.
• Pods are 10–12cm long and 3–4cm wide with white tufts of long, silky hair. Each pod contains up to 450 brown seeds.

3D model

• View the 3D model to help you identify this plant. You can magnify the image and manipulate the view to inspect the plant from every angle.

• Tropical and subtropical regions

• Visit Weeds Australia and click on the distribution tab to view the distribution map.

• Flowers form at any time of year if sufficient moisture is available. Usually, June to July is the only non-flowering period.
• Seed pods form from spring to late autumn, with peak seed production corresponding to maximum flowering.
• Pods dry out and then split open about 200 days after formation.
• About 95% of seed is viable, but germination needs favourable temperature and soil moisture conditions.

Environmental

• Smothers riparian vegetation and forms dense thickets.
• Spreads outward from waterways, hillsides and pastures.
• Decreases biodiversity and impedes stock and native animal movement.

Economic

• Is poisonous to livestock.
• Presents difficulties for mustering stock.

• Seeds spread by wind and water.

• Find out how farmers can prevent weed spread.
• Find out how gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts can prevent weed spread.

Physical control

Fire

• Infestations can be controlled by burning. For best results, prepare and manage fuel loads before burning, and apply follow-up treatment after burning.
• Two successive annual burns are recommended. The first fire will open up the infestation to increase grass growth (fuel load) while killing rubber vine plants. The second fire will clean up regrowth that follows the first fire.

Mechanical control

Scattered or medium-density infestations

• Repeated slashing close to ground level is recommended.

Dense infestations

• During winter, use stickraking or blade ploughing to reduce the bulk of an infestation. Then sow pasture and burn windrows to kill residual seed, and apply follow-up treatment.

Herbicide control

Aerial application

• Currently, 3 herbicides are registered for aerial application—2 foliar herbicides and 1 soil-applied herbicide. Conditions that apply to foliar and soil applications of these herbicides also apply to aerial application.
• For current advice on use of this technique, contact us online, by phone or in person.

Foliar spray

• Spray when there is little to no rust present. Rust affects plant health and its ability to take up chemicals through leaves.
• Spray when plants are actively growing. Do not spray when plants are water-stressed, yellowing or bearing pods.
• Use a wetting agent with foliar herbicides.
• Thoroughly spray bushes to the point of run-off, wetting every leaf.
• Avoid spraying during hot and dry weather (such as over 35°C) or in windy conditions, especially with Agricrop Rubber Vine Spray.
• Foliar spraying is most effective on plants less than 2m high. Large plants with stem diameter over 8cm may not be killed.

Basal bark treatment

• Thoroughly spray around the base of the plant to a height of 20–100cm above ground level, spraying higher on larger plants.
• For best results, spray when the plant is actively growing.

Cut stump treatment

• Cut the stem off horizontally as close to the ground as possible (within 15cm).
  • For smaller plants, use a machete or similar.
  • For larger plants, you may need a chainsaw.
  • For scattered to medium-density infestations, using a brush-cutter my be cost-effective.
• Immediately spray or swab the cut surface.

Soil application

• Do not use residual herbicides within a distance of 2–3 times the height of desirable trees.
• Do not use Graslan along waterways or land with greater than 20° slope.
• At least 50mm of rainfall is needed for residual herbicides to be taken up by plants.

Read the rubber vine fact sheet to find out more about herbicide control and application rates.

Biological control

• Two biological control agents (a disease and an insect) are established. Their impact depends on their abundance. Both cause abnormal defoliation, creating an 'energy sink' that appears to reduce seed production. These agents do not usually kill established plants.

Disease

• Rubber vine rust (Maravalia cryptostegiae) is widely established and spread mainly by wind. Yellow spores form under the leaves.
• Rust is most active over summer, and its abundance is directly related to leaf wetness, which depends on rainfall and dew. Over summer, generation is completed every 7 days. Rust activity reduces over the dry season.
• Continued heavy infection causes defoliation, which appears to reduce seed production. This can kill small seedlings and causes dieback of stems. Established plants are not killed.
• Defoliation promotes increased grass growth among rubber vine, increasing fuel loads required for fire management.

Insect

• The moth Euclasta whalleyi, whose larvae are leaf feeders, is also established. Observation indicates the moth prefers plants stressed by either limited soil moisture or high levels of rust infection.
• The moth's period of activity is the dry season. Native fly parasites and disease can reduce larvae abundance.
• Larvae are tapered at both ends, grow up to 30mm long, and are grey-brown with orange dots along the sides. Fine silken threads and black bead-like droppings are often found near larval feeding damage.
• Creamy-brown moths are active at night. They rest at a 45˚angle from a surface, with wings folded. The life cycle from egg to adult takes 21–28 days.
• Defoliation reduces the smothering effect on other vegetation, increases leaf litter, and promotes grass growth among rubber vine. This increases the fuel loads needed for fire management. Decreased flower and pod production should reduce the vine's ability to spread.

• Rubber vine is a category 3 restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014 . You must not:
  • give it away
  • sell it
  • release it into the environment.

If you do any of these, penalties may apply.

• You must take all reasonable and practical measures that are under your control to minimise the biosecurity risks associated with dealing with rubber vine. This is part of your general biosecurity obligation .
• Each local government must have a biosecurity plan that covers invasive plants in its area. This plan may include actions to be taken on rubber vine. Some of these actions may be required under local laws. Contact your local government for more information.