Moth plant competition 2026

Moth plant is a lush, evergreen vine with a smelly, milky sap and twining flexible stems and is woody near the base.  

It has dark green leaves that are hairless and dull on top and greyish underneath and opposite the stems. 

During autumn, moth plants have clusters of two to three bell-shaped white flowers, occasionally with pink streaks. 

From autumn to winter, the pods develop and disperse. These are distinctive thick, leathery and pear-shaped.  

The pods contain pulp which splits open to disperse many black, thistle-down like seeds which are poisonous if eaten.

Not to be confused with choko which grows a similar pod but has much larger lobed leaves. 

1. Wear gloves when removing moth plants. The poisonous sap can irritate your skin if you come into contact with it. 
2. Bring a black rubbish bag with you. The pods must be removed from the vines and collected into a sealed bag to prevent them from splitting and spreading further. To count as an entry, the vines must be removed with roots attached. 
3. You can find moth plants in backyards, parks, and gullies. Do not remove moth plants in locations where it is unsafe to do so, such as next to busy roads or near train tracks. If you do see moth plants in areas that are unsafe to access, please report this to Council on 07 838 6699.  

Teams, individuals, companies and schools must enter the competition through the Hamilton City Council website to be eligible. 

Entries must be submitted between Sunday 1 March 2026 and Saturday 16 May 2026 via the Hamilton City Council website. 

All entries must include a supervising adult over the age of 18.  

All entries must include a name and contact details of a participant who will be the team leader, this participant must be over the age of 18. Communications will be sent to the team leader.  

The team, individual, company, or school who collects the most pods and/or vines will win the first-place prize.  

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes are given to the individuals or groups which collect the most pods and small vines. All spot prizes are decided at the discretion of Hamilton City Council. All judges' decisions are final.    

All pods and vines must be collected from within Hamilton City Council borders.  

Photos must be uploaded of the pods and vines with dates. Pods and vines can only be photographed once.

Photos must have clear countable rows of pods and/or bundles of 10 small vines and include proof of the team's identity- either including the team members faces, or a piece of paper with the team's name and date of submission on it.     

By submitting a photo, the team is certifying that the pods and vines were gathered by the team during the competition dates, and they have only been used in one photo for the competition.  

Hamilton City Council reserves the right to disqualify any entries that are not deemed eligible.

• Tell someone where you’re going, and make sure there are at least two people present if you are approaching landowners or going out collecting moth plant pods and seedlings or cutting vines.   
• While children are welcome to participate, those under 14 years old must be accompanied by supervising adults taking full responsibility for their health and safety.  
• We recommend an adult-to-child ratio of 1:1 for children five years old and under.   
• For participants under 18, permission from a parent or legal guardian must be sought and granted to take part in this competition.   
• If pods are located on private property, permission from the landowner must be sought and granted before any pods or vines are removed from their property.   
• If used, herbicide gel must only be handled by an adult in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.   
• Please be safe when collecting. Please avoid dangerous locations including railways and roadsides. Only attempt to remove pods that can easily be reached from standing at ground level.   
• Gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, a mask and eye protection must be worn while removing and/or handling any pods as the sap can be an irritant. Care must be taken to ensure the sap does not come in contact with skin or eyes, and that seeds are not breathed in. Protect your clothes or wear old clothes as sap can ruin them.  
• Pods and vines must be bagged in sealed bags and disposed of correctly.   
• The organiser(s) and supporter(s) of this competition shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss), or for personal injury suffered or sustained, as a result of participating in this promotion except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law.  

1. Winners will be contacted via email and/or phone by Hamilton City Council. 
2. Judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entertained. 
3. Hamilton City Council staff may enter but are not eligible to win prizes.
4. People employed in restoration within Hamilton City may enter but are not eligible to win major prizes.