Mikania micrantha
Mikania micrantha
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Tolerates some shade, growing best where fertility, organic matter, and soil and air humidities are all high[1]. This species is widely regarded as one of the worlds worst weeds[2]. It is a major weed in plantations, pastures and along roadsides, and is an intermediate weed in crops and forestry[1]. It tolerates some shade, and very rapidly overgrows abandoned areas[1]. Cleared areas, especially in or near forest, can be quickly overrun by the plant as the ground is rapidly covered by a dense tangled mat of trailing stems. It also tends to smother shrubs and small trees, these being sometimes almost hidden[1]. The seed is dispersed by the wind or in clothing, or by the hair of animals. It also reproduces vegetatively from broken stem fragments, with each node of the stem able to produce roots. The use of this species as cattle feed, cover crop, and as a garden ornamental further helps it to spread[1]. Plants can flower and produce fruit all year round[3].
Propagation
Seed - germinates best in a sunny position[1]. Cuttings Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Mikania+micrantha>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
- [2]Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants — http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html ↩︎An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
- [3]Medicinal Plants in Papua New Guinea — World Health Organisation · 2009 · ISBN 978-92-9061-249-0 ↩︎Traditional medicinal uses of 126 species from Papua New Guinea, including information on modern research into the plants.
- [4]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region