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A very troublesome and fast growing
vine, this plant can grow up to 30cm per day. It is a serious threat to
agriculture and the environment in the Pacific Islands. Mile-a-minute can
overgrow plants including trees.
It will grow in a wide range of environments but particularly in
disturbed habitats including cropped land, and affect many different types
of crops including taro.
 Mile-a-minute
can be recognized from the arrowhead-shaped leaves. The flowers are very
small and white in colour and are borne in terminal or axillary inflorescence
clusters. Seeds can be spread by wind, but the most efficient mechanism is
for seeds to become attached to peoples’ clothing, animals and used machinery
and can move long distances in this way. In the
North Pacific Mile-a-minute produces flowers and seeds from October to
January – south of the
Equator this happens from May to August. To reduce the spread by seeds it is
very important to cut flowering plants or to kill it with an appropriate
herbicide before flowering occurs or at least before seeds spread.
Mile-a-minute is reported to be present
in the following countries: American
Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Cook Islands, Fiji,
French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea,
Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga,
Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna. It is not known whether it is present
in Kiribati and Nauru but is absent in the Marshall Islands.
Within Pacific Island countries and territories where Mile-a-minute
weed has been reported, some islands are still free of this troublesome
weed. An example is in Wallis and Futuna: a recent survey showed that it is
present on Wallis Island and absent on Futuna and Alofi islands. In
countries and territories where Mile-a-minute weed is newly introduced and
not widespread eradication of this species is recommended.
Eradication is also recommended if previously unaffected islands
within a country which has had this weed for some time become affected.
Care should be taken to avoid movement of this invasive weed either
intentionally or as unintended contaminants through inter-island movement of
used machinery, field equipment and planting materials.
Any new occurrence in Pacific Island
countries should be reported to the relevant national quarantine or plant
protection authorities or to SPC PPS by e-mail through the contacts
below:
Warea Orapa, Weed Specialist,
based in Suva, Fiji
Email : WareaO@spc.int or
Konrad Englberger, Plant Protection
Officer based in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.
Email : ppmicronesia@mail.fm
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