Controlling weeds
Pest plants can pose significant threat to agriculture, the natural environment and public health and safety on Kangaroo Island.
Land owners have a legal responsibility to manage weeds, and there are many different methods of dealing with them. Good land management and gardening practices applied throughout the year can prevent new weed introductions and reduce further damage and spread.
The Landscape South Australia Act 2019 sets out the legal framework for:
- banning the sale of declared weeds
- controlling the movement of declared weeds
- destroying or controlling infestations of declared weeds
- notifying authorities when an infestation is detected.
More information can be found in Declared plants of South Australia – are they on your land?
Hints and tips
To help prevent spread of weeds in agricultural settings:
- confine stock to one paddock for a week after purchase
- clean all farm machinery before removing it from or bringing it on to your property
- make sure you know where your produce is coming from and that it is clean
- look for new weeds along grain trails and at stock campsites.
To learn more about how to reduce the spread of weeds and prevent the establishment of new weed species in the region and state, download the Livestock management guidelines and Fodder management guidelines.
In the garden:
- be knowledgeable about weeds and learn to recognise them
- be aware of what you buy and take cuttings from – some weeds are very pretty but can be very damaging
- check the Coastal Gardens planting guide or the KI Native Plant Nursery for alternatives to potential weeds
- never dump lawn clipping and garden waste into bushland
- inform others if they have potential weeds in their gardens.
Download the Kangaroo Island garden weeds to learn more.
Weed advice
Control options for weeds will depend on the species of plant, their different growth characteristics and whether they are annual, biennial or perennial. If you are not sure what weeds you have or how to control them, please contact the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board, phone 08 8553 2476, or email, for advice.
You can also find plenty of useful information and advice on how to identify, treat or control weed through the Weed Control Handbook, which is updated annually, or by downloading the SA Weed Control app for you smart phone.
Priority weeds on Kangaroo Island
Common name: African Boxthorn
Scientific name: Lycium ferocissimum
Status: Declared
Related links:
Common name: Blackberry
Scientific name: Rubus fruticosus
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Bluebell creeper
Scientific name: Sollya heterophylla
Status: Environmental weed
Related links:
Common name: Bridal creeper
Scientific name: Asparagus asparagoides
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Bridal veil
Scientific name: Asparagus declinatus
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Bulbil watsonia
Scientific name: Watsonia meriana var. bulbillifera
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement
Related links:
Common name: Caltrop
Scientific name: Tribulus terrestris
Status: Declared
Related links:
Common name: Fountain grass
Scientific name: Cenchrus setaceum
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Gorse
Scientific name: Ulex europaeus
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Horehound
Scientific name: Marrubium vulgare
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Italian buckthorn
Scientific name: Rhamnus alaternus
Status: Environmental weed
Related links:
Common name: Monadenia / African weed orchid
Scientific name: Disa bracteata
Status: Monadenia is an emerging weed and not currently declared under the Landscapes SA Act 2019.
Related links:
Common name: Montpellier Broom
Scientific name: Genista monspessulana
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: One-leaf cape tulip
Scientific name: Moraea flaccid
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Salvation Jane
Scientific name: Echium plantagineum
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Common name: Sweet pittosporum
Scientific name: Pittosporum undulatum
Status: Environmental weed
Related links:
Common name: Water hyacinth
Scientific name: Eichhornia crassipes
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale or movement
Related links:
Potential weed threats
Common name: African Daisy
Scientific name: Senecio pterophorus
Status:
Related links:
More information
Animal and Plant Control Officer
35 Dauncey Street, Kingscote SA
+61 08 8553 2476