Asparagus asparagoides (L.) Knuth
Smilax (Asparagus asparagoides) is a long-lived, evergreen climbing herb that is native to tropical and southern Africa. It was introduced to New Zealand as a garden ornamental and was first recorded in the wild (naturalised) in 1905. The plant climbs by twining stems and has glossy, bright green, oval cladodes that resemble leaves. It flowers from August to October, producing small, greenish-white, fragrant flowers, which develop into round berries that turn orange-red when ripe. It tolerates shade and a range of soil types. It reproduces by seed and vegetatively from tubers that resprout after damage. Seeds are dispersed by birds and other animals that eat the berries. Tubers are spread by soil movement, dumped garden waste and other human activities.
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