Download Photo: Sea spurge - Southern Tablelands and South Coast Noxious

Photo: Sea spurge
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................1
Controlling weeds..............................................................................................4
Woody Weeds
Tree of heaven.....................................................................................8
Privet....................................................................................................9
Cotoneaster, hawthorn, pyracantha...........................................10-11
Bitou bush, mirror bush...................................................................12
Brooms...............................................................................................13
Lantana..............................................................................................14
African boxthorn...............................................................................15
Prickly pear.......................................................................................16
Milkwort or polygala.........................................................................17
African scurfpea................................................................................18
Blackberry, sweet briar......................................................................19
Cassia.................................................................................................20
Wild tobacco bush.............................................................................21
Vines
Japanese honeysuckle, dolichos pea................................................22
Turkey rhubarb or climbing dock....................................................23
Madeira vine or lamb's tail..............................................................24
Moth plant.........................................................................................25
Cape ivy, climbing groundsel, English ivy.......................................26
Morning glory...................................................................................27
Bridal creeper, climbing asparagus.................................................28
Herbaceous Weeds
Paterson's curse, Viper's bugloss......................................................29
St John's wort....................................................................................30
Fireweed.............................................................................................31
Crofton weed, capeweed, Chinese wormwood..........................32-33
Thistles...............................................................................................34
Fennel, hemlock................................................................................35
Bulbs and tuberous plants..........................................................36-37
Aquatic plants..............................................................................38-39
Periwinkle, wandering jew...............................................................40
Sea spurge, beach daisy....................................................................41
Grasses
Whisky grass......................................................................................42
African lovegrass...............................................................................43
Pampas grass....................................................................................44
Serrated tussock................................................................................45
Chilean needle grass.........................................................................46
Parramatta and giant Parramatta grass.........................................47
Some more common garden escapees..........................................................48
Contacts...........................................................................................................49
What is a weed?
To a gardener, a farmer or a botanist a weed may mean different things, but
broadly it is a plant growing outside its natural environment and having
some sort of adverse impact. The majority of weeds are from overseas but
some native Australian plants grown outside their natural range can also
become weeds within Australia. Whatever their origin they spread “like
weeds” when they arrive in a favourable environment, often because they
have left their natural pests and diseases behind.
Types of weeds
DECLARED NOXIOUS WEEDS have been proclaimed under the
Noxious Weeds Act 1993, generally because they are serious economic
pests, toxic to stock or a danger to human health. They are usually weeds of
agriculture. There is a legal requirement on landowners to control these
weeds. The species listed as noxious vary between different parts of NSW. A
list of the species which are noxious in your area can be obtained from the
website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds
ENVIRONMENTAL WEEDS are plants that invade native vegetation and
may replace native plants and cause loss of habitat for native animals. Some
environmental weeds have been declared noxious (such as bitou bush), but
most have not and there is no legal requirement to control them.
A plant may be both an agricultural and an environmental weed, depending
on where it is growing.
Some local native plants can even behave in a weedy fashion because of
changes to land management such as clearing of forest or changes in
frequency of burning. Examples are bracken, the shrubs blackthorn
(Bursaria spinosa), burgan (Kunzea ericoides) and sweet pittosporum
(Pittosporum undulatum) and various wattles.
Why do weeds matter?
The huge financial cost to agriculture of weeds and weed control is well
known but the impact of weeds on natural vegetation has only recently been
widely recognised. Weed invasion is one of the greatest threats to some types
of native vegetation, particularly when that vegetation is close to towns and
farming land.
Weeds can come to dominate the vegetation in these areas, preventing
regeneration of native plants or even killing them in some cases. They may
reduce the habitat available for native animals and alter the visual character
of the landscape. They can increase the fuel load making areas more fireprone. They can even change the soil so that native plants can no longer
survive there.
1
Why do weeds invade?
Two things are needed for weeds to invade vegetation: a source of propagules
(seed, bulbs, pieces of stem or root) and suitable growing conditions.
Disturbance is not essential but it increases the likelihood of weeds
becoming established by creating bare ground, changing soil conditions
and stimulating seed germination.
Possible sources of disturbance are
•flooding, which can remove vegetation and deposit sediment
•earth-moving or cultivation
•removal of the existing vegetation cover by herbicides or fire
•trampling by livestock
•nutrient enrichment with fertilisers or manure
•enhanced soil moisture due to runoff from paved surfaces or
compacted soil.
Seed and other propagules can be moved around in a number of ways
•dumped in garden refuse
•blown on the wind
•spread by birds or other animals if packaged in edible fruits
•carried on animals and waterbirds attached to fur, feathers or in
mud on their feet
•carried in water
•in the gut of livestock which have fed on weedy pasture or hay
•spread on cars, mowers, agricultural or earth-moving machinery
•imported in soil, mulching materials, potted plants, hay and
other stock feeds.
What can I do?
In general
•Learn to recognise weeds and take early action to remove them from
your property. Monitor areas where you have imported materials or
created disturbance, and be ready to control weeds as soon as they
appear.
•Get unfamiliar plants identified if you suspect they may be weeds.
•Join or form a Bushcare, Dunecare or Landcare Group and become
active in rehabilitating weedy areas.
2
In the garden
•Don’t dump garden waste. Burn it, compost it or take it to the tip.
•Don’t dump water plants into water bodies or into the drains.
•Remove any plants listed in this guide from your garden and replace
them with plants which will not spread. Avoid any plants with berries
which are not native to the area regardless of where you live, since
birds can spread them over long distances. If you live close to native
vegetation also avoid the weedier bulbs and anything with fine windblown seed. Talk to your nursery salesperson about the weed
potential of plants before you buy them.
•Do not extend your garden into adjacent vacant land.
•Eliminate nutrient-laden runoff from your garden. Don’t use
fertilisers unnecessarily. Collect animal faeces and compost them.
On the farm or rural block
•Avoid unnecessary soil disturbance.
•Avoid overgrazing as this creates ideal conditions for weed
invasion.
•Monitor areas that have had machinery from outside the property
over them for new weed arrivals.
•Minimise driving over the property as this compacts the soil and may
deposit weed seed.
•If feeding stock on imported feedstuffs do it in a restricted area and
monitor it for weeds.
•Quarantine new livestock for several days so weed seeds can pass
through them in a confined area which can be treated later.
•Don’t shift stock straight from weedy areas into areas of remnant
native vegetation. Give them a week in a “clean” paddock first.
•Clean off mowing and slashing equipment before moving between
areas.
• Get to know when weeds on your place flower and time your slashing
and grazing to reduce seed set.
•Be vigilant, and act early. Don’t wait until a few plants turn into a
major infestation.
3
Controlling Weeds
Weeds thrive on disturbance. As well as taking action to remove weeds you
need to look at what has contributed to the infestation and treat the causes
as well as the symptom (the weeds). If reliance is placed on simply spraying
weeds whenever they appear you may be embarking on an expensive spiral
of increasing disturbance and increasing infestation. Healthy, vigorous
native vegetation or pasture is relatively weed-resistant.
Timing is crucial in weed control. Remove weeds before they produce seed.
If you are too late collect the seed and burn it, bury it deeply, or place it in
plastic bags in the sun to rot. However the rotting process requires moisture
so make sure you include some moist green material. Plastic bags are easily
broken, so don’t take weeds carrying light wind blown seed to the tip,
whether in bags or not.
Removing a weed may simply result in its replacement by another rapidly
growing coloniser of empty space, most likely another weed. Look at the
whole picture and decide what you want to achieve before starting a weed
control program.
Methods
Hand pulling, chipping or digging is the cheapest method of weed
control for small infestations but it is time consuming. Young plants are
often easy to pull out if soil is moist. If soil is dry or plants are big you are
likely to leave enough material in the ground for the plant to grow again.
Some plants will recover unless every bit of the root system is removed and
these are better sprayed. Digging is better avoided if it will cause a lot of soil
disturbance in an otherwise relatively undisturbed site as this will only
encourage the germination of more weed seed in the soil.
A sharp knife is a useful tool for hand weeding as it can be used to cut the
roots below the crown on smaller weeds such as grasses and herbaceous
plants. Try to minimise the amount of soil disturbance when weeding.
Slashing or mowing can be used to delay production of seed until more
permanent control can be undertaken. However, it is not a permanent
method of control itself and if plants have already seeded it can result in
spreading that seed even further. If repeated frequently enough it can
exhaust the underground food reserves of some plants and eventually get
rid of them. Bracken is an example.
Solarisation involves heating weeds to lethal temperatures under clear
(or coloured) plastic. It can be useful for low-growing and semi-aquatic
weeds but will work best when they are growing in full sun. It may or may
not kill any seed stored in the soil. It is best used for small infestations.
Plastic may need to be left in place for months and should be weighted
down.
4
Grazing by goats and other livestock can be used to prevent seeding and
remove some weeds. Any stock introduced at the right time and in adequate
numbers can reduce seeding of annual grasses. Goats are useful on woody
weeds, but you need fair numbers to have much effect. They need good
fencing and can be hard on bush. Sheep and goats are useful in controlling
fireweed but they need to be present in large numbers at the crucial times.
Fire can play a part in controlling weeds, although it can also pave the way
for weed infestation by creating bare ground. Timing is important. Burning
in late autumn may encourage weeds by leaving the ground bare through
winter. Burning in spring is less likely to have this effect. Burning of some
native grasses which are not being grazed has been shown to be necessary
for their health. Without regular burning or grazing, grasses such as
kangaroo grass (which forms much of the native pasture in the region) can
lose vigour and the pasture become more susceptible to weed invasion. Lack
of burning in the bush around towns can allow exotic plants which would
not survive fire to become dominant. Fire can also be used to stimulate mass
germination of hard-seeded weeds such as broom, which can then be
sprayed.
Herbicides are very useful in the battle against weeds but need to be used
carefully. Spot spraying individual plants is better than broad scale spraying,
where practical. It is always best, if there is the option, to use the appropriate
selective herbicide to minimise damage to non-target plants. The use of
non-selective herbicides (which kill every plant they contact) creates bare
ground, which only encourages further weed invasion. Use an application
method other than spraying whenever possible (see next page).
Remember herbicides are poisons and take precautions to avoid getting
them on your skin or breathing the vapour. Wear overalls, rubber gloves and
a face mask when working with them. To avoid spray drift do not spray in
windy conditions. Always read the instructions on the label before use.
There are restrictions on using herbicides near waterways.
Herbicides are meant to be used only on the plants for which their use is
registered. Check the label. For many non-agricultural weeds not listed on
product labels there may be an off-label permit which covers them. If in
doubt contact NSW Department of Primary Industries, the National
Registration Authority, Council weeds officers or the product manufacturers.
Note that under the Pesticides Act 1999 it is an offence to use a herbicide
in a manner that could cause injury to a person, damage to another’s
property or harm to a non-target plant.
It is often best to use a mix of control techniques in an integrated program
to maximise the chance of success. Replant or encourage regeneration of
desirable plants in areas where weed control has been done to reduce the
likelihood of reinvasion by the same or other weedy plants.
5
When to use herbicides
•Only if no other effective and efficient method is available and only
after you have read the label.
•Apply herbicide when the plant is actively growing. This may be in
winter for some species.
•Do not use herbicide when the plants are drought stressed, in
extremely hot or cold conditions or when plants are diseased.
•Don’t spray if it looks like rain or is windy.
•For many plants the best time to treat is between flowering and fruit
set.
•Spray deciduous plants in late spring through to early autumn when
in full leaf. If leaf colour has begun to turn it is too late.
Methods of Application
Spraying should not be done in windy conditions. If plants are tall it may
be easier and safer to slash them first and spray when there is vigorous
regrowth. Ensure old grass tussocks have some new growth in them to
absorb the chemical. If not they may need to be slashed first to promote
fresh growth. Avoid spraying non-target plants, especially when spraying
vines whose foliage may be entangled with that of the supporting plant. To
minimise damage to other plants use a selective herbicide if possible. Mix it
to the right concentration for the target species (check the label) and spray
to thoroughly wet foliage, but no more. If the plant you are treating has
waxy leaves you may need to add a penetrant to improve take-up of the
herbicide. Adding dye makes it much easier to see where you have
sprayed.
Weed wipers can be used to apply herbicides to foliage in a more targeted
manner. There are a range of possibilities from wiping herbicide onto
individual plants with a sponge in a gloved hand (useful for bulb foliage),
to hand-held wick wipers, to larger wipers towed behind a tractor or quad
bike. This method can be useful for removing taller weeds without affecting
the pasture beneath them. Generally, wiping with two passes at 90º to each
other is needed to ensure sufficient coverage. Check whether the chemical
you plan to use is registered for this method of application.
Stem injection is used on woody weeds where you want them to die in
place rather than cutting them down. There are purpose-built stem
injection devices but the job can also be done with a hammer and chisel or
a cordless drill. You need to make an angled cut or hole down into the
sapwood just below the bark and apply undiluted herbicide into the cut
immediately. Don’t drill too deeply or you will get into the heartwood, which
does not take up the herbicide.
6
Cut and paint is suitable for woody weeds. The plant is cut off close to
ground level with a horizontal cut and herbicide (usually glyphosate)
applied immediately to the cut surface. If you are too slow air is sucked into
the sap vessels preventing take-up of the herbicide. In some plants such as
willows it may be necessary to apply herbicide to both the stump and the cut
end of the rest of the tree. This ensures that the top part of the plant dies
rather than taking root again if it is left lying on moist soil. For a larger stump
only the outer edge just inside the bark needs to be treated. Wear rubber
gloves and avoid moving around carrying an open container of herbicide.
This method and the one below are best done as a two-person job.
Scrape and paint is used for large vines and scrambling plants with a
woody stem. Scrape 20 to 100cm of the stem with a knife to expose the
sapwood just below the bark. Apply herbicide immediately to the scraped
section. Don’t scrape right around the stem, do only a third of the diameter.
Stems over 1cm in diameter can be scraped on two sides. If killing vines
leave them to die in place. Pulling them down can damage the plants they
are growing over.
Basal bark treatment is used on young woody weeds and root suckers.
Diluted herbicide (check label for rates) is painted or sprayed onto the bark
at the base, from ground level to 30cm high.
Refer to the Noxious and Environmental Weed Control Handbook and
Weed Control in Lucerne and Pasture series, available from NSW
Department of Primary Industries, for specific weed by weed information
(www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/publications/
management/noxious-environment-weeds-control).
Gardens, public and private, are a major source of environmental weeds. This old municipal planting includes privet, broom and cotoneaster, all
highly invasive plants.
Avoid planting ‘garden thugs’. There are many equally attractive noninvasive plants (see Grow Me Instead! booklet available from your local
Council).
7
WOODY WEEDS
Tree of heaven
(Ailanthus altissima)
Description
Deciduous tree to 20m high with smooth, grey bark. Very large (to 1m long)
compound leaves, with many leaflets in opposite pairs. There is a gland on
a small lobe near the base of each leaflet. Crushed leaves and the male
flowers have an unpleasant smell. Seeds are red, large and winged.
Usually found near buildings but it can occur in relatively undisturbed
bush.
Dispersal
Mainly spreading by root suckers around the parent plant. Dumped
material may take root. Root fragments can be spread by machinery. Seed
spread by wind.
Look-alikes
The natives red cedar (Toona ciliata) and pencil cedar (Polyscias
murrayi) are rainforest trees, and red cedar does not occur naturally south
of Milton. Neither have the gland on the leaflets or the unpleasant smell.
Pencil cedar holds its leaves in winter, but red cedar is deciduous.
Control
Cut and paint, stem inject, basal bark or spray smaller plants. Plants will
sucker from the roots when cut down or poisoned so repeat treatment is
necessary. Do not plough, bulldoze or cut without poisoning, as suckering
will be massive.
Contact with bark and leaves may cause dermatitis in some people.
8
WOODY WEEDS
Small-leaf privet
Large-leaf privet
(Ligustrum sinense)
(Ligustrum lucidum)
SMALL-LEAF PRIVET
LARGE-LEAF PRIVET
Description
Evergreen shrubs or small trees. Smooth grey bark. Leaves glossy, in
opposite pairs, oval, to 13 cm long in large-leaf privet and 5cm in small-leaf
privet. Sprays of small white flowers are followed by clusters of small black
fruits. Small-leaf privet flowers in spring, large-leaf privet in summer.
Moist shady sites are preferred.
Both leaves and fruits are poisonous to humans.
Dispersal
Birds. Seed dumped in garden waste.
Look-alikes
Several native rainforest trees have similar glossy leaves in opposite pairs.
The most similar are lilly pilly (Acmena smithii) and grey myrtle
(Backhousia myrtifolia) which also have terminal sprays of white or
cream flowers but not the black fruits which distinguish the privets. The
weedy tree camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) also has glossy
leaves and black fruits but its leaves are not opposite.
Control
Cut and paint, basal bark, stem inject or spray. Seedlings can be hand
pulled. Seedling growth is likely to be very prolific when mature plants are
killed and root suckers may also appear. Re-spray.
9
WOODY WEEDS
COTONEASTER
(above) Two species of cotoneaster
growing together. Note different leaf and
flower size and colour.
10
HAWTHORN
PYRACANTHA
WOODY WEEDS
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster species)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Pyracantha or firethorn
(Pyracantha species)
Description
Cotoneaster: Several species of evergreen or semi-deciduous shrubs
2-4m high, sometimes semi-prostrate (C. horizontalis). Leaves oval, with
a dull green upper surface and usually a white underside. Clusters of small
white or pink flowers are followed by small red or orange-red fruits.
Hawthorn: Deciduous spiny large shrub or small tree to 10m. Bark
smooth and grey. Leaves 3 to 7 lobed. Large white or pinkish flowers in
clusters. Fruits are dark red, fleshy, about 1 cm diameter.
MIRROR bush
Pyracantha: Similar to cotoneaster but spiny with narrow-oval, sometimes
toothed, leaves. White flowers and orange or red berries.
All are garden escapees, usually found close to towns or old farmhouses or
under trees in paddocks. However, birds may spread the seed some distance
into bush.
These plants may be seen as providing valuable food for birds. However,
they often encourage the build up of exotic species such as blackbirds or of
opportunist native birds like the pied currawong which preys on the
nestlings of more desirable bird species.
Dispersal
Birds. Seed in dumped garden waste.
Look-alikes
Some native shrubs in the genus Pomaderris have similar leaves to
cotoneaster but their flowers are smaller and they do not form berries.
Control
Cut and paint, stem inject or spray. Seedlings and smaller plants can be
hand pulled or dug. Root suckers are likely to arise after treating the parent
plant and these will need follow-up cutting and painting or spraying.
11
WOODY WEEDS
Bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp rotundata)
Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp monilifera)
Mirror bush
(Coprosma repens)
BITOU BUSH
MIRROR BUSH
Description
Evergreen shrubs 1-3 m high. All have thick leaves, with small teeth near
the tip in bitou bush. Bitou bush new growth is whitish with a covering of
fine hairs. Mirror bush leaves are highly glossy. Mirror bush cultivars with
variegated foliage are sold in nurseries and are also potentially weedy.
Bitou and mirror bush are usually found close to the sea on dunes, sea-cliffs
and in forest on sand although bitou is gradually spreading inland. The very
similar weed, boneseed may be found over a wider range of habitats.
Dispersal
Birds, foxes, ants. Movement of soil containing seed. Bitou bush seed may
be spread along the coast by ocean currents.
Look-alikes
The native boobialla (Myoporum boninense) also grows mostly on sea
cliffs. It has bright green fleshy leaves with a more pointed tip, white flowers
spotted with purple and purple fruits. A weed with similar fleshy leaves is
the large semi-climbing shrub climbing groundsel (Senecio angulatus),
which has yellow daisy flowers but fluffy seed (page 26). Boneseed has
narrower leaves with toothed margins.
Control
Cut and paint. Seedlings and smaller plants can be hand pulled. Fire can be
used to stimulate germination of most seed after which seedlings can be
sprayed. Over-spraying with a low concentration of glyphosate in winter
can kill bitou without affecting native vegetation. Biological control agents
have been released for bitou.
12
WOODY WEEDS
Flax-leaf broom
(Genista linifolia)
Cape or Montpelier broom
Scotch or English broom
(Genista monspessulana)
(Cytisus scoparius)
CAPE BROOM
SCOTCH BROOM
Description
Shrubs 1-2m high flowering in spring, with hairy seed pods. Flax-leaf and
cape broom have leaves composed of three leaflets, like clover. Leaflets are
narrower in flax-leaf broom. Scotch broom is often leafless, the flowers
borne on green ribbed stems, though young plants may have a few leaves
with one or three leaflets.
Dispersal
Dumping. Explosive release of seeds around parent plants.
Look-alikes
Many native shrubs in the pea family have some of the features of the
brooms. Gompholobium species and Goodia lotifolia have 3 leaflets and
yellow flowers, but neither have hairy pods. Jacksonia scoparia is a leafless
shrub with rough black bark, weeping silvery-grey foliage and deep yellow
flowers. Its pods are tiny and not hairy. The leafless native pea Viminaria
juncea grows in swampy situations where Scotch broom is unlikely to
occur. Most other native pea shrubs have yellow flowers with blotches of
brown or orange, not pure yellow.
Control
Cut and paint or spray. Smaller plants can be hand pulled or dug out. Seed
is long-lived in the soil and seedling growth after removal of the parent
plants will need follow-up. Fire could be used to stimulate germination of
all soil-stored seed for spraying.
13
WOODY WEEDS
Lantana
(Lantana species)
Description
Lantana camara is a large shrub which may sometimes climb into trees.
Stems are square and prickly and leaves arranged in opposite pairs. Leaves
are rough to the touch with short hairs and finely serrated edges. They have
a strong smell when crushed. Small flowers are in clusters, followed by
berries which ripen to black. The whole plant is poisonous.
Lantana generally occurs along the edges of forest and cleared land and is
often associated with rock outcrops and gullies.
Dispersal
Birds and foxes. Clumps increase in size by suckering from the roots and
seedling growth along the edges.
Look-alikes
Other Lantana species have been popular garden plants, but their
cultivation is now illegal in NSW. They may be yellow or mauve flowered.
The native herb cockspur flower (Plectranthus graveolens) could be
mistaken for a young lantana plant. It has the square stems, opposite, oval,
serrated leaves and is aromatic when crushed. It grows on rock outcrops
with lantana. Its leaves are velvety hairy rather than roughly hairy. The
flowers are small and blue, in narrow elongated spikes.
The native shrub poison peach (Trema tomentosa) has similar rough
textured leaves with serrated margins, but they are much narrower than
those of lantana. Flowers are tiny and white, berries are tiny and black and
neither are in clusters.
Control
Dig, cut and paint or spray isolated plants. Thickets will need to be sprayed.
Suckers are likely to arise from the roots and will need follow-up work, as
will seedling regrowth. Bulldozing could be used for large infestations
isolated from native vegetation but suckering will be profuse.
14
WOODY WEEDS
African boxthorn
(Lycium ferocissimum)
Description
A large intricately branched shrub with long sharp spines. Leaves are small,
bright green, smooth and slightly fleshy. Small white flowers with purple
markings. Fruits are rather tomato-like but only 1cm diameter.
A weed of open pasture in farming areas, boxthorn usually grows under
trees and fences where it provides rabbit harbour. It also grows in coastal
areas such as sea cliffs. Fruits are poisonous.
Dispersal
Birds and foxes.
Look-alikes
Two native spiny shrubs may be confused with boxthorn. Blackthorn
(Bursaria spinosa) has small white flowers in large clusters at the end of
the branches in summer followed by brown papery seed capsules. Tree violet
(Hymenanthera dentata) has toothed leaves and the flowers are tiny
yellow bells which hang along the underside of the branches, followed by
purple-black berries. The leaves of both are less bright green than those of
boxthorn. Their spines are shorter and less vicious.
Control
Hand pull seedlings. Cut and paint, basal bark or spray. Seedlings are likely
after removal of adult plants, and suckers may arise from the roots and will
need follow-up work. Sprayed plants may leaf up again several times before
finally dying.
Boxthorn may provide the only shelter for small birds in farming
landscapes. Plant suitable local native replacement shrubs before removing
it if no other habitat is available.
15
WOODY WEEDS
Common prickly pear
Tiger pear
(Opuntia stricta)
(Opuntia aurantiaca)
COMMON PRICKLY PEAR
TIGER PEAR
Description
Cacti with swollen fleshy stems (cladodes), spines and no leaves, forming
clumps to about 1m high. Tiger pear cladodes are cylindrical, all others
flattened and plate-like. Tree pear (O. monacantha) grows to over 3m and
has thin bright green rather than blue-green cladodes.
Rocky slopes, including sea cliffs, are a favoured habitat.
Dispersal
Birds can spread the seed of common and tree pear. Tiger pear does not
produce seed in Australia. Broken off segments will take root if left in
contact with the ground and can be transported by animals, humans,
vehicles and in water.
Look-alikes
The spineless Indian fig (O. ficus-indica) sometimes grown as a hedge or
for its edible fruits has also become weedy in Victoria.
Control
Plants can be dug out but must be disposed of carefully because of their
ability to take root again if left on the ground. Cladodes will remain viable
for very long periods even if not in contact with the soil. Deep burial or
burning is safest. Spraying with selective woody-weed herbicide is effective.
Biological control (the Cactoblastis moth or cochineal insects) is effective
in warmer climates but in southern areas they need to be reintroduced after
winter. They may weaken plants and prevent seeding but will not eradicate
infestations.
16
WOODY WEEDS
Myrtle-leaf milkwort
Broom milkwort
(Polygala myrtifolia)
(Polygala virgata)
MYRTLE-LEAF MILKWORT
BROOM MILKWORT
Description
Shrubs 1-2m high. Purple flowers 2-3cm across are clustered near the tips
of the branches. Fruit is a winged flattened capsule ripening to a papery
texture.
Found in bush around towns particularly in near-coastal locations.
Dispersal
Seed in dumped garden waste and in contaminated soil, sometimes by ants
or birds. Seeds remain viable for a long time and germinate profusely after
fire or disturbance.
Look-alikes
Flowers look similar to those of native peas but lack the large petal at the
top of the flower. Check the next page to see a typical pea flower shape.
Match-heads (Comesperma ericinum) is a native shrub in the same
family with similar but much smaller pink flowers in compact terminal
heads. The yellow flowered pea Pultenaea daphnoides has similar leaves
to myrtle-leaf milkwort.
Control
Plants cut close to the base are not likely to re-sprout. This is easier than
digging and less likely to cause more seed germination. Numerous seedlings
are likely to appear after disturbance and follow-up control will be needed
for at least three years. Fire can be used to kill adult plants, but it will also
cause mass germination of seedlings.
17
WOODY WEEDS
African scurfpea
(Psoralea pinnata)
Description
Evergreen shrub 1-3m high. Leaves are compound with 5 to 11 narrow
pointed leaflets, bristly to the touch. Blue flowers are clustered near the tips
of the branches. Small pods contain a single seed.
Found around towns particularly in near-coastal locations.
Dispersal
Spread from seed in dumped garden waste, in contaminated soil and
sometimes by ants. Seeds remain viable for a long time and germinate
profusely after fire or disturbance.
Look-alikes
Flowers are similar to those of native peas but the pale blue colour is not
shared by any local native peas. Purple flowered native pea shrubs in the
region are Indigofera australis and several species of Hovea but these
have quite different leaves. Some native shrubs in the genus Zieria have
compound leaves with narrow leaflets, but these have only three, not 5-11
leaflets. Their flowers are small and white. When not flowering young plants
could be mistaken for a pine tree seedling (also a weed).
Control
Cut stems may re-sprout and this species is not killed by fire. Cut and paint
mature plants. Hand pull seedlings, although spraying is easier if seedlings
are abundant.
18
WOODY WEEDS
Blackberry
(Rubus fruticosus species aggregate)
Briar rose or sweet briar
(Rosa rubiginosa)
BLACKBERRY
BRIAR ROSE
Description
Deciduous thorny shrubs. Blackberry forms clumps to 3m high. Blackberry
fruits are large, succulent and red ripening to black. Briar rose is smaller.
and produces smooth orange-red “rosehips”.
Blackberry does best in cool moist sites. Briar rose grows in pasture and
seems to be selectively browsed out by rabbits. It increases on the coast after
drought, when rabbit numbers are low.
Dispersal
Birds, foxes. Blackberry also roots at the branch tips where these touch the
ground. Root suckers.
Look-alikes
Several natives: small-leaved bramble (Rubus parvifolius) is a small
trailing plant with pink flowers and small red fruits; native raspberry
(R. rosifolius) is upright in habit, with narrow leaves, large white flowers
and large red, but dry and gritty, fruits; Molucca bramble (R. moluccanus
syn. R. hillii) has three-lobed but not divided leaves which are buff hairy
on the underside; bush lawyer (R. nebulosus) is a red-fruited climber in
rainforest north of Batemans Bay.
Control
Spray with a woody weed specific herbicide. Goats provide very good control
of both. Slashing can keep blackberry from forming tall clumps but never
gets rid of the plant. Plants can be dug out but will re-sprout if any roots are
left behind. An introduced fungus, blackberry rust, released in the 1980s,
can become common in wet summers and reduces the vigour of plants.
19
WOODY WEEDS
Cassia
(Senna septemtrionalis, S. pendula var. glabrata, S. multiglandulosa)
Description
Straggly evergreen shrubs 1-3m high. Senna septemtrionalis is illustrated.
The other two species have more rounded tips to the leaflets. Leaves are
compound with 3-8 pairs of leaflets. There is a raised gland between the
lowest pair, or few pairs, of leaflets. Seed pods are cylindrical and
bean-like.
Mostly found in bush around towns and old farms.
Dispersal
Seed in dumped garden waste, in water and in contaminated soil, rarely by
animals.
Look-alikes
Some species of native Senna occur in the region. Senna aciphylla prefers
rocky sites, while Senna odorata grows in eucalypt forest and on rainforest
margins. These two species have 8-13 pairs of leaflets with glands between
all leaflet pairs. Senna clavigera occurs on rainforest margins north from
Shoalhaven. It has a single gland where the leaf joins the stem and 4-7
leaflet pairs. Other less similar native shrubs are the purple-flowered pea
Indigofera australis and coffee bush (Breynia oblongifolia).
Control
Cut and paint, hand pull or dig. The whole root system needs to be removed
to avoid re-sprouting. Plants will re-sprout from the roots after fire. Seeds
remain viable for a long time and may germinate profusely after fire or
disturbance.
20
WOODY WEEDS
Wild tobacco bush
(Solanum mauritianum)
Description
Straggly evergreen shrub or small tree to 6m high. Large furry, grey-green
leaves, smelling of kerosene, purple flowers followed by clusters of large
berries ripening from green to yellow. All parts of the plant are covered in
velvety hairs. The plant is poisonous, particularly the green berries.
Originally a garden escapee but now well established in bush particularly
in near-coastal locations and along rivers.
Dispersal
Birds, dumped garden waste.
Look-alikes
Smaller native nightshades (Solanum species), of which the most similar
is devil’s needles (Solanum stelligerum). This also has furry grey-green
leaves but they are smaller and narrower and the plant grows no higher
than 2m. It usually has some prickles scattered on the stems. Most of the
shorter native nightshades found on the south coast have prickles on stems,
leaves and flower/fruit stalks.
Control
This plant is a coloniser of disturbed sites and germination is stimulated by
fire. It will re-sprout if cut down. Spray, stem inject, cut and paint or basal
bark. Small plants may be hand pulled or dug.
Native birds such as fruit pigeons may rely on the fruits of this weed.
Replace with local native bearers of soft fruits such as lilly pilly (Acmena
smithii) or bolwarra (Eupomatia laurina) in suitable moist sites.
21
vines
Japanese honeysuckle
Dolichos pea
(Lonicera japonica)
(Dipogon lignosus)
JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE
DOLICHOS PEA
Description
Japanese honeysuckle: Large vine with thin-textured leaves in
opposite pairs. Young leaves lobed. Flowers are very sweet-scented. Fruit is
a black berry which is poisonous to humans.
Dolichos pea: Large vine with thin-textured leaves composed of three
pointy-tipped leaflets. Clusters of pink or mauve pea flowers and flat pealike pods.
Both grow on forest edges or riverbanks usually near towns or old farms.
Dispersal
Seed spread by birds or in dumped garden refuse and contaminated soil.
Honeysuckle branches root where they come in contact with the soil.
Dumping can spread honeysuckle from plant fragments as well as seed.
Look-alikes
Japanese honeysuckle: Other Lonicera species (vines and shrubs) and
hybrids of Japanese honeysuckle are also bird-spread. Avoid.
Dolichos pea: The native vine Kennedia rubicunda is a smaller plant
with blunt-tipped leaflets, red flowers and brown furry pods.
Control
Hand pull or dig young plants and spray, cut and paint or scrape and paint
older plants. Follow-up will be needed. Tops should be left to dry out in
place as pulling them down may damage supporting trees. This applies to
all large vines. Spraying is useful when the vine is growing over the ground
but may damage supporting trees or shrubs. Use with care.
22
VINES
Turkey rhubarb or climbing dock
(Acetosa sagittata)
Description
A large non-woody vine with arrowhead shaped leaves and inconspicuous
white flowers carried in long branched heads. Seed capsules start green,
turn red and dry to brown, with a papery texture. The plant grows from a
large conical underground tuber like a sweet potato.
Widespread in a variety of habitats but mostly near-coastal and along
rivers.
Dispersal
Spread from seed or tubers, in dumped garden waste or contaminated soil.
Seed also spread by wind or water and tubers potentially by water.
Look-alikes
The dense sprays of papery fruits are distinctive. There are some smaller
native climbers with arrowhead shaped leaves. Forest bindweed (Calystegia
marginata) has single white flowers enclosed in two green bracts. The
small creeper Muehlenbeckia gracillima has similar leaves with finely
crisped margins but the flower spikes are much smaller. It is only a small
plant and usually occurs along rivers.
Control
Constant re-sprouting from the tuber makes this species difficult to control.
Plants can be dug up but every tuber needs to be removed. Spraying prior
to seeding will be effective but will need to be repeated on regrowth the next
season.
If treating plants that are carrying seed collect and destroy as much seed as
possible.
23
vines
Madiera vine or lamb’s tail
(Anredera cordifolia)
Description
Large vine with fleshy, glossy heart shaped leaves and narrow pendulous
spikes of small cream flowers. Seed is not formed in southern Australia.
Grows from underground tubers and also forms aerial tubers on the
branches. These sprout to form new plants when they fall to the ground.
Generally found in moist sunny sites such as river banks and gully edges.
Dispersal
Spread by tubers in dumped garden waste, contaminated soil or in water.
Look-alikes
Aerial tubers are distinctive but not always present. Other climbing plants
with fleshy leaves are also weeds (Delairea odorata, Senecio tamoides
and Senecio angulatus - see page 26). Some native vines have glossy but
not fleshy, heart-shaped leaves: snake vine (Stephania japonica), pearl
vine (Sarcopetalum harveyanum), round-leaf vine (Legnophora
moorei) and giant pepper vine (Piper novae-hollandiae).
Control
Plants can be dug up but large tubers may break up. Careful collection and
disposal of aerial tubers is necessary if pulling vines down. Spraying is
useful for plants without aerial tubers and young regrowth. Scrape and
paint mature vines. This will kill aerial tubers slowly. Plants need to be
monitored for regrowth.
24
VINES
Moth plant
(Araujia sericifera, syn. A. sericiflora, A. hortorum)
Description
Large vine with oval leaves, sometimes with a slightly heart-shaped base,
and a white underside, in opposite pairs. Milky sap is produced. Seeds have
a tuft of hairs to assist dispersal and are packed tightly into a leathery green
capsule.
Most common in moist soils along rivers.
Dispersal
Wind and water.
Look-alikes
The flowers and choko-like fruits are distinctive but there are some native
climbers with similar leaves. Milk vines (Marsdenia rostrata and M.
flavescens) also have milky sap, and shiny, opposite leaves. However, the
underside is pale green in M. rostrata and yellowish in M. flavescens.
Flowers are smaller, cream or yellow and seed pods much narrower.
Common silkpod (Parsonsia straminea) has clear sap, large leathery
leaves in opposite pairs, with a paler green underside and cigar shaped
pods. The small native vine Tylophora barbata has clear sap, opposite pale
green leaves and the rarely produced small flowers are dark purple.
Control
Young plants are easily hand pulled. Large plants can be sprayed or treated
by the scrape and paint method. If ripening fruit is present remove and
dispose of it carefully, preferably by burning or deep burial.
25
VINES
Cape ivy
(Delairea odorata, syn. Senecio mikanioides)
Climbing groundsel
English ivy
(Senecio angulatus)
(Hedera helix)
CLIMBING GROUNDSEL
CAPE IVY
ENGLISH IVY
Description
Cape ivy: Non-woody vine with thin, glossy leaves. Flowers in winter.
Climbing groundsel: Shrub or climber with glossy, thick, fleshy, bluntly
lobed leaves and yellow daisy flowers.
English ivy: Climbs trees clinging by small suckers. Leaves thin, slightly
glossy. Black berries. Both berries and leaves are poisonous.
Found around towns or old farms. Cape ivy is the most widespread, often
along rivers.
Dispersal
Spread by stem segments dumped or transported by water. Also from seed,
wind-blown, or bird-spread in the case of English ivy.
Look-alikes
The native common silkpod (Parsonsia straminea) climbs tree trunks
using suckers when young but its leaves are not lobed. The weed Senecio
tamoides is like cape ivy, but with large yellow "petals" on the flowers.
Control
Cape ivy: Cut through stems and leave upper parts to die off in place. Dig
roots and remove any stems in contact with the ground.
Climbing groundsel: Selective woody weed herbicides.
English ivy: Hand pull small plants. For badly infested trees, cut away the
bottom metre of ivy stems and scrape and paint both ends of the cut stems.
Stems growing across the ground can be sprayed with herbicide. If spraying
any of these species add a penetrant to improve take-up.
26
VINES
Mile-a-minute or coastal morning glory
Blue morning glory
(Ipomoea cairica)
(Ipomoea indica)
BLUE MORNING GLORY
MILE-A-MINUTE
Description
Large vines. Flowers are tubular, about 8 cm in diameter, pink, mauve or
blue. Fruit is a four-valved capsule.
Found around towns particularly in near-coastal locations. Sea-cliffs,
gullies, forest edges.
Dispersal
Spread from stem segments dumped or transported by water. Mile-aminute also has wind-spread seed.
Look-alikes
The native vine Calystegia sepium has narrowly heart-shaped leaves and
a large pink flower. It differs in having the base of the flower enclosed in two
large green flaps (bracts). It usually grows in wet areas. Three native
twining plants in the convolvulus family Calystegia marginata,
Convolvulus angustissimus and Polymeria calycina, which have white
or pink morning glory-like flowers, are much smaller than the weedy
species. Passionfruit (2 native and 4 weedy species) have slightly similar
three-lobed leaves.
Control
Dig, spray or scape and paint. If dug they should not be left lying on the
ground or they may take root again. Plants which are not trailing over the
ground can be cut at the base and left to dry out in place.
27
VINES
Bridal creeper or florist’s smilax
(Asparagus asparagoides)
Asparagus fern or climbing asparagus
BRIDAL CREEPER
(Asparagus scandens)
ASPARAGUS FERN
Description
Non-woody scrambling plants with wiry stems that cover the ground or
climb into shrubs and small trees. Bridal creeper has glossy, thin-textured,
bright green leaves with close parallel veins. Small white bell flowers are
followed by dark red berries. Climbing asparagus has small leaves arranged
in threes and tiny white flowers followed by orange berries.
Climbing asparagus is found around towns in moist gullies. Bridal creeper
is widespread in many types of native and exotic vegetation.
Dispersal
Birds. Dumping of rhizomes (wiry underground stems).
Look-alikes
Wiry native vines wombat berry (Eustrephus latifolius) and scrambling lily
(Geitonoplesium cymosum) are similar to bridal creeper but the narrower
leaves are not glossy and fruits are yellow and black respectively. Other
weedy asparagus ferns may be climbers or groundcovers. Their foliage is
similar to climbing asparagus and berries may be red, orange or black
depending on species. Some have short spines on the stems. All have white
fleshy tubers attached to the roots.
Control
Dig small plants removing all of the root system or spray larger infestations
during winter or spring. Plants become dormant in summer. Repeat
treatments will be needed. Two biological controls have been released for
bridal creeper and have proven very effective in humid coastal situations.
Bridal creeper rust can be spread by rinsing rust-infected plants in water
and spraying the water onto uninfected plants during humid weather.
28
HERBACEOUS
Paterson’s curse or Salvation Jane
Viper’s bugloss
(Echium plantagineum)
(Echium vulgare)
PATERSON’S CURSE
VIPER’S BUGLOSS
Description
Annual or biennial herbs to 1m high that start as a flat rosette, elongating
to a vertical flowering stem. Paterson’s curse stems are usually widely
branching and viper’s bugloss single-stemmed, but both species may adopt
either habit. Large blue-purple flowers. Viper’s bugloss is distinguished by
its coarse prickly hairs and the much narrower basal leaves.
Found in farming areas in degraded pastures, river beds and on roadsides.
As they are avoided by most stock they can become dominant in grazed
pasture. Toxic to pigs and horses and the hairs may irritate cow’s udders.
Dispersal
The initial introduction is usually in contaminated hay or pasture seed,
after which the sticky seed is spread in or on livestock, or by water.
Look-alikes
The bell shaped flowers are distinctive but from a distance another lowgrowing weed, purple verbena (Verbena rigida) looks similar. It has more
reddish-purple flowers clustered in terminal heads and roughly hairy
leaves in opposite pairs.
Control
Hand chip or spray. On high production pastures cultivate and establish a
dense sward of grasses and clovers that will out-compete the weeds.
29
HERBACEOUS
St John’s wort
(Hypericum perforatum)
Description
Perennial herb with small pale green leaves arranged in opposite pairs. If
the leaves are held up to the light, tiny clear oil dots can be seen. Flowers
are about 20 mm diameter. Flowering is in summer. The plant dies back to
the rootstock over winter and does not begin growing again until early
summer. The plant is poisonous to stock causing photo-sensitisation in
white-faced animals. Their faces and mouths become itchy and raw,
preventing feeding. Prolonged handling may cause unpleasant syptoms in
humans too.
Grows in pasture and on road verges. Very invasive in remnant native
vegetation of farming areas.
Dispersal
Seed sticks to animals or vehicles, is spread in contaminated soil, or in hay
or chaff. Each plant also spreads via underground runners which can be
spread by cultivation.
Look-alikes
Similar natives Hypericum gramineum and H. japonicum are very much
smaller with flowers only 5-10mm diameter. Several larger Hypericum
species are used as garden plants.
Control
Small infestations can be hand dug, though it is seldom possible to remove
all of the root system, so spot spraying is more likely to be effective. St John’s
wort does not tolerate strong competition from healthy pasture so avoid
over-grazing and ensure rabbits are controlled.
30
HERBACEOUS
Fireweed
(Senecio madagascariensis)
Description
Low branching annual herb, toxic to stock, causing progressive liver
damage. It is not readily grazed except by sheep and goats which tolerate
the toxins better than other stock.
Grows in pasture, road verges and open forest. It needs moist conditions for
seedling establishment but will grow and flower at any time of year given
the rainfall.
Dispersal
Seed is wind-blown and possibly moved around in soil and on vehicles.
Look-alikes
Many other weedy yellow daisies which consist of a single rosette and flower
stalk rather than having a branching habit. Fireweed can be distinguished
from most native Senecio species by its 13 "petals" and about 21 bracts (the
narrow green structures surrounding the flower head). Senecio lautus ssp
maritimus on sea cliffs and dunes and S. lautus ssp lanceolatus in grassy
forest along the top of the coastal escarpment look very like fireweed but
have only 13 bracts. The taller Senecio linearifolius grows on the edges of
the farming areas and can proliferate after disturbance.
Control
Hand pull as soon as the plants become visible by beginning to flower. Bag
the whole plant for safe disposal or just the flowers and seed heads. Check
for seedlings in the vicinity of the more visible plants. Large infestations can
be boom sprayed. Sheep and goats may reduce seed-set by grazing.
Maintaining a vigorously growing pasture is helpful in preventing
infestation. Burning of ungrazed native pasture may make it more resistant
to infestation by stimulating active grass growth.
31
HERBACEOUS
CROFTON WEED
CAPE WEED
CHINESE WORMWOOD
32
herbaceous
Crofton weed
Capeweed
(Ageratina adenophora)
(Arctotheca calendula)
Chinese wormwood or mugwort
(Artemisia verlotiorum)
Description
Crofton weed: An erect perennial weed of warm, moist spots such as
creek banks, road verges on moist slopes, drains. In northern NSW it also
invades pasture.
Capeweed: A flat rosette-forming weed of bare ground such as road
verges and heavily grazed pastures. Seeds are pale brown fluffy balls. It can
taint milk and high nitrate levels have caused death in sheep and cattle.
Chinese wormwood: A tall erect unbranched perennial herb. Flowers
are very small, in elongated branched terminal spikes, in late summer. The
plant dies back to the rootstock over winter. Found on sandy river banks
forming dense stands which exclude all other plants.
Dispersal
Seed or rootstocks dispersed by wind and water and in contaminated soil.
Look-alikes
Crofton weed: Mistflower (Ageratina riparia) is a weed with similar
behaviour and appearance distinguished by narrower leaves which taper
less abruptly into the leaf stalk. The native herb “Indian weed” (Sigesbeckia
orientalis) is similar but leaves are more arrowhead shaped, flowers are
tiny and yellow, and the flowering parts are sticky.
Capeweed: The garden plant Gazania (Gazania species) has a similar
low habit and flowers but forms a spreading clump rather than consisting
of a single rosette.
Chinese wormwood: When not flowering the plant has a chrysanthemumlike appearance. It can be mistaken for perennial ragweed (Ambrosia
psilostachya) but this species lacks the white leaf underside and is not
known from the south coast yet.
Control
Hand pull or chip small infestations prior to seeding. Spot or boom spray
when plants are actively growing. Herbicide treatment may need to be
repeated.
33
HERBACEOUS
Black or spear thistle
Nodding thistle
Scotch thistle
(Cirsium vulgare)
(Carduus nutans)
(Onopordum acanthium)
BLACK THISTLE
NODDING THISTLE
SCOTCH THISTLE
Description
Black or spear thistle is the most common large thistle on the coast,
with green stems. Nodding thistle has narrow leaves and drooping
flower heads. Scotch thistle is grey woolly with winged stems.
Thistles are more common on the tablelands, where many different species
occur. Most have the potential to become more common on the coast if not
controlled when they first appear.
Dispersal
Seed dispersed by wind, roadside slashing, contaminated soil or in
contaminated hay.
Look-alikes
There are many thistles, all weeds in the daisy family. Variegated thistle
(Silybum marianum) is a robust plant with strongly white-marbled
leaves and large purple flower heads. Slender thistle (Carduus
pycnocephalus) is a small thistle with narrow pink flower heads and
slightly variegated looking foliage. Saffron thistle (Carthamus lanatus) is
a slender plant with yellow flowers.
Mexican poppy (Argemone ochroleuca), although it is not a thistle has
spiny silver-grey thistle-like leaves, but a large cream poppy flower.
Control
Chip or spot spray prior to flowering or boom spray large infestations.
Control of species which are not yet well established on the coast is
particularly important.
34
HERBACEOUS
Fennel
(Foeniculum vulgare)
Hemlock
(Conium maculatum)
FENNEL
HEMLOCK
Description
Robust annual or biennial herbs 1-2m high with zigzagging stems that are
whitish or bluish. Hemlock stems are finely blotched brown or purple and
hollow. Leaves are finely divided, in the case of fennel into thread-like
segments. Flowers are yellow in fennel, white in hemlock and carried in
umbrella-shaped heads. Fennel smells of aniseed while hemlock is said to
have a “mousy” smell when crushed. All parts of the hemlock plant are
poisonous to humans and livestock. It also taints milk and can affect yield.
Both grow on unused land such as roadsides. Hemlock prefers moist shady
conditions such as river banks.
Dispersal
Seed spread by water, machinery or vehicles or in contaminated soil.
Look-alikes
Wild carrot (Daucus carota) is a common weed on roadsides. It has
similar heads of white or pinkish flowers but the crushed leaves smell
carroty.
A native herb, Trachymene anisocarpa, has similar branching heads of
white flowers but its leaves are divided into only three lobed leaflets. It grows
in forest on moist sandy soils, often close to swamps.
Control
Hand chip young plants or spot spray before plants elongate into the
flowering stage. Slashing just before flowering may kill the plants or repeat
slashing of regrowth may be needed.
35
HERBACEOUS
TRITONIA
FORMOSAN LILY
WATSONIA MERIANA
WOOD-SORREL
36
ARUM OR CALLA LILLY
HERBACEOUS
Bulbs and Tuberous Plants
Montbretia (Crocosmia X crocosmiiflora); Wood-sorrel (Oxalis articulata);
Onion grass (Romulea rosea); Arum lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica);
Formosan lily (Lilium formosanum); Tritonia (Tritonia lineata);
Watsonia (Watsonia meriana ‘Bulbillifera’, Watsonia borbonica)
MONTBRETIA
ONION GRASS
Description
Plants which grow from a bulb or corm are usually visible above ground
for only part of the year. This is the case for all of the plants illustrated
except arum lily. Its foliage may die back over winter in cooler sites.
All appear mostly around towns and old farms although onion grass and
Formosan lily are more widespread. Arum lily prefers wet sites.
Dispersal
Spread by seed, rhizomes, corms, bulbs or bulbils in dumped garden
waste or in contaminated soil. Birds spread arum lily seed.
Look-alikes
Some native lilies appear from tubers in spring and summer but most
have much smaller flowers than the garden escapees. The most showy are
the bulbine lilies (Bulbine glauca and B. semibarbata) which have
onion-like leaves and erect spikes of small yellow flowers.
Control
Dig small infestations but take care not to leave behind the bulb or the
small offset bulbs which develop late in the season. To prevent seed
development cut tops after flowering, or if seed has already formed bag
seed heads for safe disposal. Do not slash seeding plants as it will spread
the seed. The best time for spraying is when the flower stalks are
elongating as the bulbs will be most weakened at this time and seeding
and production of new bulbs should be prevented. Regrowth is likely after
either digging or spraying.
37
HERBACEOUS
Aquatic Plants
CABOMBA
Cabomba has both submerged and floating leaves. The fan-shaped leaf
distinguishes it from similar native water plants.
SALVINIA
Salvinia is flat initially, but leaves fold when the plants become crowded.
It is free-floating on the water surface.
WATER HYACINTH
Water Hyacinth forms dense
floating mats on the water surface.
SAGITTARIA
Sagittaria grows in mud at the
water’s edge.
38
HERBACEOUS
Aquatic Plants
Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana); Salvinia (Salvinia molesta);
Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes); Sagittaria (Sagittaria graminea)
Description
Aquatic plants may be either fully submerged in water, floating on the
surface or growing around the water’s edge. Found in fresh water bodies such as farm dams, lagoons on river floodplains,
rivers and creeks. Still or slow flowing water is usually preferred.
Dispersal
Floods, dumping of aquarium or ornamental pond plants. Many aquatic
plants have sticky seed which can be spread long distances on the feathers
or feet of water birds. Boats may spread seed or whole plants.
Look-alikes
Identifying aquatic weeds can be difficult. There are many native lookalikes, although not for water hyacinth. The blue-flowered pickerel weed
(Pontederia cordata) and the white-flowered native water plantain
(Alisma plantago-aquatica) are similar to sagittaria.
Have suspicious plants identified by a specialist. Many native water plants
will become abundant if the nutrient level in the water body is increased or
the temperature raised. This may not be a bad thing since these plants will
use up nutrients that might otherwise feed a toxic blue-green algae bloom.
Control
Report any suspected infestations to Council weed officers. Do not dump
unwanted aquatic plants into water bodies or grow species with weed
potential. Floating plants can be raked to shore or pulled in with an
encircling rope and piled on the shore above flood reach under plastic
where they will break down rapidly. Plants growing around the water’s
edge can be dug up.
For large infestations herbicide may be needed, but a permit is required
from the Department of Environment and Climate Change to apply any
herbicide to a water body. Only a few herbicides are registered for use over
water.
39
HERBACEOUS
Periwinkle
(Vinca major)
Wandering jew, trad
(Tradescantia fluminensis, syn. T. albiflora)
PERIWINKLE
WANDERING JEW
Description
Spreading groundcovers that form dense mats. Periwinkle leaves are in
opposite pairs while those of wandering jew are alternate and stem-clasping
at the base.
Moist shady situations are preferred by both, especially river banks.
Dispersal
Neither spread from seed in Australia. Broken off sections of stem will take
root. Spread down rivers by floods and into other areas by dumping.
Look-alikes
Non-flowering periwinkle could be mistaken for the small native vine
Tylophora barbata. However, Tylophora twines up nearby plants while
periwinkle does not climb. A variegated form of periwinkle is also invasive.
Wandering jew is similar to two native plants, Commelina cyanea and
Aneilema biflorum but both these plants have longer, narrower leaves that
are more widely spaced along the stems. Commelina has blue flowers.
Control
Small infestations can be dug out but every bit of stem needs to be removed
and destroyed as any fragment can re-grow. Solarisation may work in
summer in sunny sites (6 weeks for wandering jew and 4-6 months for
periwinkle). After removing the plastic any regrowth can be dug or sprayed.
Spraying will work eventually but repeat treatments will be needed. Plants
should not be under any moisture stress when sprayed. Adding a penetrant
will increase the effectiveness of spraying.
40
HERBACEOUS
Sea spurge
Beach daisy
(Euphorbia paralias)
(Arctotheca populifolia)
SEA SPURGE
BEACH DAISY
Description
Sea spurge: A slightly succulent blue-leaved erect herb with milky sap.
Beach daisy: A low, spreading slightly succulent plant with grey leaves
and yellow daisy flowers. It forms dense mats.
Both grow on beaches and dunes and adjacent areas. Plants tolerate burial
and grow until they reach the surface again. They can alter dune behaviour
by trapping large volumes of sand and represent a threat to endangered
shorebirds which nest on beaches.
Dispersal
Sea spurge seed remains viable in the sea and can be spread along the coast
in currents. It is released explosively to 2m from the parent plant. Beach
daisy seed is wind-dispersed.
Look-alikes
Seedlings of the dune-dwelling native shrub Leucopogon parviflorus can
resemble sea spurge, but are not blue-foliaged. Beach daisy is a little like
bitou bush (see page 12), but is distinguished by its grey leaves and low
mat-forming habit.
Control
Hand pulling is easy in sand although a shovel may be needed for deeply
rooted old plants. Wear gloves and glasses when handling sea spurge as the
sap is caustic. Plants may be left where pulled (turn beach daisy upside
down) or draped over nearby shrubs to die. Bagging for disposal off-site is
not essential as most ripe seed is probably shed during pulling, but take
care not to spread seed from isolated sea spurge plants.
41
GRASSES
Whisky grass
(Andropogon virginicus)
Description
Tussock grass to 1m high with a distinctive columnar habit and curly leaves.
It is an orange-brown colour during the warmer months and fades to
straw-coloured during winter. It is of low nutritional value to stock and may
create a fire hazard.
Mostly restricted to disturbed sites such as road verges and powerline
easements. However, it invades adjacent pasture after disturbance such as
cultivation or burning. It can also invade forest along tracks.
Dispersal
Main spread is caused by slashing of seeding plants. Wind disperses seed
into adjacent areas. Once into paddocks it can spread by adhering to
animals.
Look-alikes
The native kangaroo grass (Themeda australis) is also a tall tussock grass
with an orange-brown colouration. It has seed with a long black awn (tail).
Whisky grass has fluffy seed heads (above right).
Coolatai grass (Hyparrhenia hirta) is another very invasive weed which
has appeared in the Illawarra. It is also orange-brown in colour but less
columnar in shape than whisky grass. Seed heads consist of two short (1.55cm) grey spikes, often held in a V shape.
Control
Dig or spot spray before seeding. Once a dense infestation has developed
cultivation and establishment of a vigorous perennial pasture may be
needed. Do not graze in the first year, and remove any whisky grass
seedlings which appear. Manage grazing intensity to maintain pasture
vigour to out-compete whisky grass seedlings.
42
GRASSES
African lovegrass
(Eragrostis curvula)
Description
Tall grass to 1.2m with variable tussock shape, leaf colour and leaf width.
The distinctive feature is the black colour of the young seed heads that start
with the branches folded close to the main stem but open out as they age.
Avoided by livestock, it replaces more palatable species in grazed pasture. It
is highly flammable and creates a fire hazard.
It thrives on sandy low nutrient soils, roadsides and over-grazed pasture. It
may also invade forest along tracks.
Dispersal
Slashing of seeding plants, in contaminated hay, in soil on vehicles and
machinery and in the gut of livestock.
Look-alikes
The most similar coastal grass is poa or silver tussock (Poa labillardieri)
which differs in having the young seed heads purple tinged. Only one native
lovegrass looks similar. Eragrostis parviflora has long nodding seed heads
that are more linear in outline but are also black or leaden grey in colour.
It is usually a smaller plant. Parramatta grass (see page 47) can look very
similar prior to flowering, but it has narrow linear seed heads with little or
no visible branching.
Control
Dig or spot spray and destroy seed heads. Once a dense infestation has
developed, cultivation and establishment of a vigorous perennial pasture
may be needed. Do not graze in the first year and remove any African
lovegrass seedlings that appear. Manage grazing intensity to maintain
pasture vigour to out-compete lovegrass seedlings.
43
GRASSES
Pink pampas grass
Pampas grass
(Cortaderia jubata)
(Cortaderia selloana)
Description
Very large tussock grasses with large white or beige (C. selloana) or pinkmauve (C. jubata) plume-like seed heads on long stems to 3m high.
Usually found close to towns but both have shown the ability to spread
extensively especially in disturbed sunny situations. Pampas grass used to be
benign in Australia but the importation of new strains in the 1970s has
made it a more aggressive weed.
Dispersal
Seed spread by wind, water, in soil, on machinery. Underground stems may
be spread by machinery.
Look-alikes
The native common reed (Phragmites australis) and the weedy giant reed
(Arundo donax) also have seed in plumes but these are carried at the tip
of bamboo-like leafy stems. Native saw-sedges (Gahnia species) are
similar robust tussocks but they have larger red or black, non-fluffy seeds.
Control
Remove seed heads carefully and bag for burning or deep burial before
attempting any other control. Small plants can be dug out. A backhoe may
be required for large plants if they are in sites where this would not cause
damage to native vegetation. If spraying it will be more effective to slash or
burn then spray regrowth.
44
GRASSES
Serrated tussock
(Nassella trichotoma)
Description
Tussock grass to 0.5m with bright green leaves less than 1mm wide and
long, branched seed heads that can weep to the ground. The young seeds
are enclosed in a red sheath, giving the flowering plant a pink fluffy look.
The seed is tiny and almost round with a fine thread-like awn attached offcentre at one end. In winter plants bleach to pale straw-coloured and stand
out from other grasses.
Most aggressive in over-grazed pasture but it will invade any sort of grassy
vegetation and adjacent forest. It has no feed value and reduces stock
carrying capacity as well as reducing biodiversity in grassy native
vegetation.
Dispersal
The entire seed head snaps off and can blow long distances. In the gut of
stock and on vehicles.
Look-alikes
Natives, blown grass (Lachnagrostis filiformis) and hairy panic (Panicum
effusum) have seed heads which snap off and blow around but both have
wide leaves, and neither has the pink appearance. Natives, corkscrew grass
(Austrostipa scabra) and various poa tussocks (Poa species) can look
similar with the same erect leaf growth and very fine foliage but they have
erect seed heads which stay on the plant after seed has been shed.
Control
Dig prior to seeding, spot or boom spray. It is important to maintain other
pasture plants in vigorous condition as serrated tussock seedlings are not
very competitive in dense pasture. Control of rabbits and of stock grazing
pressure is crucial.
45
GRASSES
Chilean needle grass
(Nassella neesiana)

Description
Grass to 1m high with dark green flat to slightly in-rolled ribbed, hairy
leaves to 5mm wide. The joints of the flowering stems (nodes) have fine
short white hairs on and extending above the swollen node. Seed (at right)
is 6-10mm long, with a 40-90mm awn. The best distinguishing feature is
the collar (arrowed) at the point where the awn attaches to the seed.
Recorded from the Bega Valley and becoming common on the nearby
tablelands where it has been spread by roadside mowing. Very invasive in
pasture, on roadsides and in grassy remnant vegetation.
Dispersal
Seeds attach to animals, clothing, in soil, on machinery and vehicles.
Look-alikes
Another weed, cane needle grass (Nassella hyalina) has also been found
in the Bega Valley. Common native spear grasses (Austrostipa species) all
have pointed seeds with a long awn. Most do not have the collar at the seed/
awn junction, and are usually hairy all over(seed at left above). CNG leaves
are held close to the ground unlike the more erect spear grasses and are
finely hairy on both surfaces (one or none for spear grasses). Get expert help
with identification of this tricky group of grasses.
Control
Dig or spray. Seed is long-lived in the soil so prevention of seeding is vital.
Mowing with a catcher mower during flowering will reduce seed set but the
clippings must be burnt. This grass can also produce seed hidden within the
bases of the flowering stems so mowing to prevent seeding will be only
partially effective. Dug out plants should be burnt to destroy this hidden
seed. Report suspected infestations immediately.
46
GRASSES
Parramatta grass
(Sporobulus africanus, syn. S. indicus var capensis)
Giant parramatta grass
(Sporobulus fertilis)
3
2
1
GIANT PARRAMATTA GRASS
PARRAMATTA GRASS
Description
Parramatta grass (1 in left hand photo) is a tough wiry tussock usually
under 45cm high with blue-green flat, smooth leaves up to 5mm wide. Very
narrow seed heads to 18cm long, with short branches held very close to the
stem. Seeds are dark grey and often blackened by a fungus. Giant
parramatta grass is the same but bigger, to 1.6m high, with a seed head to
45cm long. The lower branches of the GPG seed head are much longer
(8-11cm) than those of PG and may hang away from the stem.
They favour sites with compacted soil such as tracks but also invade pasture.
Feed value is negligible.
Dispersal
In soil on machinery and vehicles. Seed sticks to animals and clothing.
Look-alikes
Two native rat’s tail grasses (Sporobolus elongatus, S. creber) are also
common (2 and 3 respectively in left hand photo). They have more
interrupted seed heads, stem visible between the branches, at least in the
lower part and branches to only 5cm long.
Control
Parramatta grass is so widespread that control is probably pointless except
in very weed-free situations. Giant parramatta grass has arrived more
recently and any suspected infestations should be reported to Council and
controlled immediately. It is very invasive in pasture on the north coast
particularly in wet sites. Dig or spot spray, collect and destroy seed heads.
47
Common garden escapees
Please do not plant these species!
Many garden plants have become serious weeds on the south coast and
some show weed potential in other areas but have not been planted for long
enough to see how they will behave here. Many are discussed in the Grow
Me Instead! booklet, available from your local Council. Some additional
weedy plants not covered in that booklet are listed below.
If any of the plants mentioned in this booklet or Grow Me Instead! are
already in your garden please think about replacing them with something
less likely to spread. Plants with seed which is spread by birds are in bold.
They are particularly likely to spread into bush.
Trees
Indian rubber tree (Ficus elastica)
desert ash (Fraxinus angustifolius)
honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
paulownia or powton tree (Paulownia species)
cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
willows (Salix species)
rhus (Toxicodendron succedaneum)
English elm (Ulmus procera)
Shrubs
Mysore thorn or thorny poinciana (Caesalpinia decapetala)
Portuguese heath and other exotic heaths (Erica species)
elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
Vines
balloon vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum)
cat’s claw creeper (Macfadyena unguis-cati)
Herbaceous Plants
balsam or busy lizzie (Impatiens walleriana)
Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
gaura (Gaura lindheimeri)
Grasses
giant reed (Arundo donax)
Treat any ornamental grasses with suspicion. If you want to use grasses in
landscaping try to find attractive locally native species.
48
This booklet provides an introduction to some of the noxious and environmental weeds of the south coast of NSW. It covers both weeds of agriculture
and bushland and other areas of natural vegetation such as wetlands and
beaches.
We hope that by becoming familiar with local weeds you will be encouraged
to remove weeds from your own patch and to join with others in cleaning
up public land.
Further information is available from the books and websites listed on the
back. Encourage your local library to obtain these books to make the information in them more widely available.
Acknowledgements
The booklet is an initiative of Bega Valley Shire Council and was funded by
Bega Valley, Eurobodalla and Shoalhaven City Councils, Illawarra District
Noxious Weeds Authority and Department of Environment and Climate
Change (Parks and Wildlife Division). Text by Jackie Miles and photos by
Jackie Miles and Max Campbell except for: aquatic plants (Paula Ash, Bob
Thurling and Louise Breewel) and Chilean needle grass seed (Margaret
Ning). Thanks to these people and others who gave photos for the first edition of the booklet, and to those who provided information and comment
on the text.
Contacts
Weeds officers at your local Council.
NSW Department of Primary Industries: Berry 4464 1251, Bega 6492 1733,
Orange 6391 3100
National Registration Authority: 6272 5158
Coastcare Coordinator: 4232 3652
Email: [email protected]
Shoalhaven Bushcare Coordinator: 4429 3592
Email: [email protected]
Illawarra Landcare Community Support Officer: 4229 7526
Email: [email protected]
Eurobodalla Landcare Community Support Officer: 4474 1329
Email: [email protected]
Bega Valley Landcare Coordinator: 6491 8200
Email: [email protected]
Bushcare Coordinator (Wollongong City Council): 4225 2638
Email: [email protected]
Layout and printing by: Excell Printing, Pambula – 6495 7320
Printed on cane waste Second edition: March 2009
49
For more information
Books and leaflets
Weeds of the South-East: An Identification Guide for Australia.
FJ Richardson, RG Richardson & RCH Shepherd
RG & FJ Richardson, 2006
Grow Me Instead! A guide for gardeners on the New South Wales
South Coast. Available from all NSW South Coast Councils.
Noxious Weeds of Australia.
WT Parsons & EG Cuthbertson – Inkata Press, 1992.
Noxious and Environmental Weed Control Handbook 3rd Edition
NSW Department of Primary Industries.
Bush Regeneration. Recovering Australian Landscapes.
Robin Buchanan – TAFE NSW, 1989.
Flowers of the South Coast and Ranges of New South Wales, vols 1-3.
Betty and Don Wood – Wood’s Books, 1998-2000.
Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney.
Les Robinson – Kangaroo Press 1991.
Websites
www.esc.nsw.gov.au/weeds/ for an expanded version of this booklet.
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds
www.southeastweeds.org.au/
www.weeds.gov.au
www.nswweedsoc.org.au for links to other weed groups
www.csiro.au/science/InvasivePlants.html
www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/index.html and follow the links to agriculture,
food and forestry, then to weeds.
www.weeds.org.au/index.html provides an excellent search facility to
source information about specific weeds, including identification features.
Bega Valley Shire Council
LANDCARE
ILL AWARRA