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Vine Management
Aggressive vine management in UBC Botanical Garden: stepping in to save a tree.
The liana above your head is Actinidia deliciosa (kiwi fruit), an aggressive climber known for its attractive foliage and tasty fruit. Lianas (woody climbers) are adapted to overtake trees and emerge from the shade, where they can then effectively attract pollinators and spread laterally to efficiently disperse their fruit. After 20 years of relatively benign behaviour, rambling up the Abies amabilis (grand fir) above, this kiwi vine moved into the adjacent, smaller Thuja plicata (western red cedar) and rapidly overwhelmed it. Note the considerable bend in the trunk and the recently cut stems of the Actinidia.