Boneseed

Boneseed is an evergreen shrub less than 3m tall with bright yellow flowers. It outcompetes native plants, promotes weed growth, and increases fire risk.

Description

• Stems are woolly and ribbed when young, becoming smooth with age.
• Leaves are smooth, leathery, bright green, irregularly serrated and alternate.
• Flowers are bright yellow and are produced from September to February.
• Fruit is hard, oval and green ripening to black.
• Seeds are dispersed by birds and other animals such as possums.
• Habitats include disturbed sites and coastal fringes.

What you need to know

Outcompetes native plants in open habitats. Can alter plant community composition through allelopathy and competition, change patterns of nutrient cycling, and promote weeds. Increases fire risk.

Management approach

This is a declared pest managed under the Canterbury Regional Management Plan 2018 – 2038 (PDF file, 10.6MB) within the sustained control programme.

Sustained control

Pests in the sustained control programme vary greatly in their distribution across the region. Some are found in low numbers, while others are already well-established pests.

The intention of the sustained control programme is to reduce the impact on values and spread of a pest onto neighbouring properties.

Boneseed is also an unwanted organism regulated under the National Plant Pest Accord.

Rules

Any species declared a pest cannot be sold or be in a place where plants are being sold. Pest plants cannot be propagated, bred, multiplied, communicated, released, cause to be released, or otherwise spread.

Control

Site management

Follow up treated areas three times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after two to three treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Physical control

Dig out and pull out seedlings and small plants.

Plant parts requiring disposal: seeds.

Contact your local council for appropriate disposal locations.

Chemical control

No qualifications: Cut stump and paste freshly cut base of stems with glyphosate gel. Cut stump and spray freshly cut base with 100ml glyphosate per 1L of water.

Certified handler/experienced agrichemical user: Foliar spray with 100ml glyphosate per 10L of water and 20ml penetrant.

Caution: When using any herbicide or pesticide please read the label thoroughly to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.

Biological control

Check for the presence of boneseed leafroller (Tortrix s.l. sp. chrysanthemoides).