Weed Potential 
As a weed Lygodium microphyllum (Old World Climbing Fern) has the ability to grow up and over trees and shrubs or to run horizontally smothering native plants and dominating the habitat. It is an aggressive invasive weed that grows in moist habitats and in southern Florida USA.

It colonisers’ new areas that have not been disturbed. It also invades residential gardens, nursery stock and woodland margins. It has the disadvantage of encouraging fire to climb into trees such as the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and is regarded as the most invasive species by the Florida Exotic Plant Pests Council.

Control methods include physical removal of the plant and its roots in small-scale infestations and in larger infestations herbicide is used. Both methods are temporary and expensive to carrier out on a large scale.