Eleagnus – The Climbing Nightmare

Eleagnus is - The Climbing Nightmare

If I had to describe one of the nastiest climber weeds to deal with it would be Eleagnus - The Climbing Nightmare. Older branches have spines over 3cm in length that can easily tear your skin and they scramble and climb 10m up to the tops of trees using these hooks as crampons. And then you have to try to get rid of it !

Elaeagnus reflexa is well described in this link to the NZ Plant Conservation Network website.

Elaeagnus Infestation — Eaeagnus Infestation

The rather brownish green colour of the leaves makes is easy to spot. It has a straggling unkempt appearance with the long curving branches that spread out in an attempt to catch onto something to climb up.

It’s saving grace is that it is intolerant of frost and poor drainage, but tolerant to drought and partly tolerant to shade.

But, seedlings are tolerant of partial shade. It requires medium to high soil fertility. It is perennial and very long-lived, probably to over a century (Fromont and King, 1992). The plant self-seeds and is dispersed by birds and vertebrate animals.

Treat it with caution, it bites. It can be very hard to find the base of the plant, but it’s worth the effort as cutting it off at it’s base and treating the stumps with Cut’n’Paste Picloram Gel is easy. The only proviso is take care using a lot of the Picloram Gel as it can be translocated in the soil to neighbouring trees. If you feel there is a real risk of this we advice you use Glimax and add just a little MetGel to the mix on the stump.

Simply make a flat level cut near the base of the truck and immediately cover the whole area of the stump with a 3- 5mm layer of gel.

Important Notes:

⚠️ Safety Warning: MetGel and Picloram / Picloram Plus+ have significantly more residual soil activity than the glyphosate gels, and can move through ground moisture. MetGel has a soil half-life of roughly 30–90 days, and Picloram roughly 2–6 months, perhaps longer in clay soils. Do not use either near desirable non-target plants, within the root zone of prized trees, or around waterways and wetlands.
When using MetGel or Picloram, never apply it inside the drip line (canopy edge) of prized trees or broadleaf garden plants. On flat ground, keep a 3 to 5-metre safety buffer. On sloping ground where the weed is uphill from desirable species, extend that buffer to 5 to 10 metres.
Weeds often grow along streams and in gullies. If you’re working near waterways, use Bamboo Buster. Do not allow any weed gel to enter the water.
Only treat weeds / target plants / trees that are on your property, or that you have permission to treat. Be aware that some species might have protection status or have a notable status, or be a designated scheduled tree under the district plan – if in doubt, check with your local council.
Safety First: Wear gloves and protective clothing and observe all safety protocols, especially when using machinery, chainsaws and other tools.
When using any herbicide ensure you READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY, and follow all instructions and directions for the purchase, use and storage of the product.
If in doubt, seek professional advice.