Kangaroo grass

Kangaroo grass is an erect perennial tufted grass around 1m tall. It forms swards that displace desirable pasture and native plants.

Description

• Juvenile plants have green-blue leaves which turn red-brown as they mature and become coarse.
• Seed heads are reddish, tufted, and have clusters of 8-12 large seeds with stiff wiry tails (awns).
• Seed heads occur in late spring to mid-summer.
• Seed dispersal is by gravity and attaching to animal hair or wool (stock and feral).
• Human-induced dispersal is caused by the movement of stock, hay, seed, machinery and clothing.
• Habitats include dryland pastures, grasslands, roadsides, shrublands, and wastelands.

What you need to know

Forms dense swards that can displace desirable pastures and low-growing native plants. Becomes unpalatable to stock once mature.

Management approach

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

Exclusion

Pests in the exclusion programme are not known to be established in Waitaha/Canterbury. If these pests were to become widely established, their impacts could be severe.

Therefore, early intervention by preventing their establishment is a cost-effective management approach.

The community should make us aware of any kangaroo grass in Waitaha/Canterbury.

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, caused to be released, or otherwise spread.

Control

Do not attempt to undertake control of kangaroo grass yourself. Report any sightings to us.