Clidemia hirta
Koster’s curse
Koster’s curse is a declared Class 1 Noxious Weed in NSW and is the target of a national eradication program. It is a highly invasive shrub, growing up to five metres tall and has the potential to spread rapidly over many parts of Australia. Koster’s curse forms dense thickets, which can smother pasture and native vegetation in a similar manner to lantana. It is quick-growing and could cause major problems for primary industries. It invades disturbed areas including the edges of clearings and stream-banks, along fence lines, paths and roadways. The weed prefers humid tropical lowlands and therefore could spread [...]
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Toxicodendron succedanea
Rhus tree
Rhus is a deciduous small tree, growing to between five metres and eight metres high with smooth, grey bark. The 5 mm-wide to 11 mm-wide fruits are round but slightly flattened in one plane, pale brown and hard textured with a papery skin. They hang in clusters on the tree through winter, falling in spring The rhus tree has compound leaves between 10 cm and 30 cm long with between four pairs and seven pairs of leaflets. There is an unpaired terminal leaflet at the tip of each leaf. Each leaflet has a long tapered tip and a rounded asymmetric [...]
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Ligustrum sinense
Narrow-leaf privet
Narrow-leaf privet is a much-branched, hardy, evergreen, fast-growing shrub up to four metres tall, formerly used extensively for hedging. Sprays of small, round blue-black berries persist into winter. Its stems are covered in lenticels (white dots). It is a tall multi-stemmed shrub. Leaves are dark green ovals with a pointed tip, to 6cm long and often have a wavy margin. Masses of heavily-scented tiny white tubular flowers occur in drooping sprays in spring; they are highly allergenic. One plant may produce up to a million seeds, which are spread into bushland by birds, and are also washed down waterways. Narrow-leaf [...]
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Macfadyena unguis-cati
Cat’s claw creeper
Cat’s claw creeper was introduced to Australia as a garden plant, particularly for screening trellises and walls, and has escaped to become a major weed of native forests and riparian areas in eastern Australia. Its climbing woody stems (lianas) cling to tree trunks, enabling it to grow into the forest canopy. In native rainforests it can overtop and kill mature trees, opening up the canopy for light-loving weeds. This can lead to further degradation in the structure and composition of the native plant community. Cat’s claw creeper competes with native plants by forming a dense above-ground mat and many underground [...]
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Ligustrum lucidum
Broad-leaf privet
Broad-leaf privet originates from eastern Asia and has become a widespread weed of disturbed land, pastoral areas and native bushland in coastal NSW. It grows as an evergreen shrub or small tree to a height of 4-10 metres. The brown bark is covered in small white lenticels (pores that allow gas exchange). Pointed oval-shaped leaves occur in opposite pairs, and are 4-13 cm long and 3-6 cm wide. The upper leaf surface is dark green and glossy or shiny, while the under-surface is paler with distinct veins. Leaves are hairless. Cream or white tubular flowers with four petal-like lobes occur [...]
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Caesalpinia decapetala
Mysore thorn
Mysore thorn is a perennial shrub, growing to 2-4 metres, or a sprawling climber to 15 metres high, which readily forms a dense impenetrable thicket. It has tap roots and lateral roots. Mysore thorn is a vigorous growing plant capable of climbing and engulfing native vegetation, fences, sheds, bridges and other infrastructure. The long spines of the Mysore thorn can inflict serious injury to humans and animals, native and domestic. Mysore thorn forms dense thickets restricting access of stock and machinery to vital areas like water, pastures and roads. Thorns on the stems are straight or hooked and aid in [...]
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Pueraria lobata
Kudzu
Kudzu is a coarse, high-climbing, twining, trailing, perennial vine. It has hairy, dark brown stems up to 15 metres long. It forms large root tubers up to two metres long and 18 cm to 45 cm wide that can weigh as much as 180 kg on old plants and can reach a depth of one metre to five metres. Leaves are alternate with three leaflets (hairy on both surfaces) 8 cm to 20 cm long and 5 cm to 19 cm wide, usually slightly lobed (unless in shade). Flowers are pea-like, pink to purple with yellow centres, highly fragrant and [...]
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Cestrum parqui
Green cestrum
Green cestrum is a native of South America. It was introduced into Australia to be used as an ornamental shrub for gardens. Since that time, green cestrum has spread rapidly from people’s gardens and has become naturalised throughout eastern New South Wales. Green cestrum’s most common source of spread is droppings from birds that have eaten the berries. Seed is also readily spread through watercourses and by flood events. In NSW green cestrum can be found growing in the Hunter Valley, the outer metropolitan areas of Sydney, the North Coast and the north-west, central west and south-west of the state. [...]
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Miconia calvescens
Miconia
Miconia, also known as velvet tree, is a potentially devastating weed of Australian rainforests. All miconia species are declared noxious throughout NSW as a Class 1 weed and must be eradicated from the land and the land must be kept free of the plant. As a notifiable weed, all outbreaks must be reported to your Local Control Authority. If you find this weed in your area or see something that may be miconia, contact Far North Coast Weeds or Industry & Investment NSW immediately. Miconia is a rainforest tree native to South America and can be found from Mexico to [...]
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