Balloon Vine

BUSH INVADER

Cardiospermum grandiflorum

family: SAPINDACEAE

Description

  • Vigorous highly invasive climber from tropical Africa, Asia and America; climbs by means of tendrils to the top of the canopy, blanketing vegetation at all levels.
  • Light green leaves are compound with three sets of three leaflets which are thin, toothed, and softly hairy.
  • Small white flowers are produced from summer to winter.
  • The fruit is a light green thin-walled, papery, inflated capsule resembling a ribbed balloon, containing three black seeds.

Dispersal

Often dumped on bushland edges. The capsules can be carried by wind and float freely on water, dispersing the plant along waterways. Also regrows from root fragments.

Impact on Bushland

Favours gullies, creeklines and the margins of rainforest, grows rapidly into the tops of trees, forms a thick curtain of stems, excludes light, harbours pests and diseases. Weight contributes to canopy collapse and ecosystem destruction.

Distribution

Lower Blue Mountains.

Alternative Planting

Native Plants
Old Man's Beard (Clematis aristata)
Wonga Wonga Vine (Pandorea pandorana)
Wombat Berry (Eustrephus latifolius)
Water Vines (Cissus species)
Yellow Passion Flower
(Passiflora herbertiana)

Exotic alternatives
Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) - train as a climber.

Control

Bag capsules and send to tip.
Dig out.
Treat as for Vines and Scramblers.
Follow up with seedling removal.

Picture of Balloon Vine
The weight of Balloon Vine contributes to canopy collapse and ecosystem destruction.

Balloon Vine: small white flowers, and compound leaves which are thin, toothed, and softly hairy.

The papery seed capsule is light green and thin-walled, resembling a ribbed balloon.

Picture of Balloon Vine

Balloon Vine grows rapidly into the tops of trees, blanketing vegetation at all levels.