FLOWERS: FRUITS: • Tiny (2mm) flowers clustered together on spikes 100mm long • Glossy, bright red, round berries • Variable colours: white, greenish to pink, purplish up to 5mm across • October to June (sometimes all year) • Single hairy seed per fruit Cape Town Weed Alert Rivina/ bloodberry (Rivina humilis) (Rivina humilis)
Rivina/bloodberry
SHRUB: • Perennial herb growing up to 1m high • Spreading branches IDENTIFICATION: IDENTIFICATION:
STEM: • Thin, woody stems LEAVES: Please report all sightings of bloodberry to • Green, pliable and slightly hairy when young • Thin, light green with smooth edges • Smooth • On long, thin stalks www.capetowninvasives.org.za Why is it a problem? Legal status Join the • Rapid growth after disturbance, forming dense stands. Cape Town • Competes against indigenous plants. • Invasive along watercourses. EDRR • Poisonous. 1b Spotter Network
NEMBA Category 1b Invader Remove & Destroy What can I do? How does it spread? May not be traded
• Fruits loved by birds which distribute seeds 1) Sign up to the Spotter Network at over large distances . How do I remove it? • Tolerates shade and poor soil. www.capetowninvasives.org.za • Germinates rapidly after disturbance. 2) Log your sightings on the Spotter Network so we know • Cut and remove flowers and berries before where the plants are situated. Sightings to date birds find them. • Young shoots can be pulled out by hand. 3) How do I remove it? • Mature plants need to be physically Help us complete this picture. If you can physically remove the plant, log its removal on dug out by their roots. Where does it grow? Have you seen it? the system so that we know that it has been removed. • Note: All parts of this plant are poisonous – wear protective clothing. 4) If you can’t remove it yourself, the Cape Town • Ensure all root fragments are removed. Invasive Species Unit will send out a team. • For chemical control, contact the Cape Town Invasive Species office. • WARNING: Herbicides should only be applied by suitably trained and equipped individuals. For more information, contact: The Cape Town Invasive Species Unit, Environmental Resource Management, Westlake Conservation Office, Ou Kaapse Weg, Tokai. What if I can’t remove it myself? Tel: (021) 712 1434/1944 Email: [email protected] Join the Spotter Network and Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ctinvasives the Cape Town Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) unit will send out a team to help you.
Help us protect Cape Town’s natural heritage from alien invader plant species. Sign up online and become a volunteer. www.capetowninvasives.org.za