Where found:

• Native of tropical northern South America.
  
• Scattered locations in Taranaki. Coastal areas, lowland shrublands, riverbanks and forest margins, roadsides, hedgerows and gardens.
  
• Can climb to reach the tree canopy in forests then cover and smother large areas by preventing the light reaching the host plants.
  

• A vigorous vine which climbs using tendrils for support. It flowers at all times of the year and the flowers are single, large, pink and hanging with a calyx tube up to 95 millimetres long.
  
• The stems are hairy and the leaves are three-lobed. The fruit are up to 12 cm long, green at first and yellow when ripe. They have edible yellow pulp and dark red to black oval seeds.
  
• Prefers a fertile soil.
  
• It is spread by possums and birds which eat the fruit.

Control of Banana passionfruit
Banana passionfruit is considered to be a national pest plant.

It can be controlled by hand pulling and digging out the roots. If chemical control is needed, 100 mls of glyphosate herbicide plus 20 mls of "Pulse" (penetrant) per 10 litres of water can be sprayed on, taking care not to damage desirable plants in the area. Where hand control or spraying are not the best option, the vines can be cut at ground level and the stumps treated with a stump paint herbicide mix.

THIS PEST PLANT IS BANNED FROM BEING SOLD, PROPAGATED AND DISTRIBUTED.