Weeds

Promoted as a lawn substitute by Sydney Water and Friends of the Earth, Phyla canescens has invaded more than 5 million hectares of the Murray-Darling Basin.

This weed has been incorrectly labeled as Phyla nodosa throughout the country. As well as out choking pasture species in places like Mooree leading to significant financial losses, this invasive plant is devasting parts of the Macquarie Marshes.

The mat forming perennial comes from the Americas. It was introduced as a lawn substitute and as erosion control on irrigation banks. It reproduces by seed and vegetatively.

For more information see http://www.weeds.org.au
» Phyla canescens

Over 300 plants of Mexican feather Grass have been sold through Canberra Nursery Outlets. Andrew Gieke, farmer at Lanyon and Steve Welch of the Southern Catchment group in the ACT, say it was probably labelled as Stipa.

Controlling one of southern Australia’s worst introduced grassland weeds just got easier for Southern ACT landholders. With a $5000 grant provided by the Australian Government through the ACT Natural Resources Management Council, the Southern ACT Catchment Group has purchased a heavy-duty trailer for use in transporting spray equipment by landholders in the Lanyon bowl area in southern ACT, for serrated tussock control.