Rubber vine began its Australian story as a garden ornamental brought from Madagascar, and it has since become one of the country's most troublesome weeds. Left unchecked, this glossy, trumpet-flowered climber can scramble up to 30 metres into tree canopies, blanket creek lines, smother the native vegetation beneath it, and form dense thickets. It also poisons people and livestock, makes mustering cattle difficult, and reduces food and shelter for native animals. Whether you farm, manage land, garden, or simply care about the bush, knowing how rubber vine spreads, how to recognise it, and what the law requires of you matters. Its seeds can remain viable for decades, allowing the plant to reappear long after infestations have been cleared and making sustained control essential.
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