Pest plants

Pest plants must be managed because they can have significant impacts on industries and the environment.

Declared pest plants

Pest plants that are a significant threat to agriculture, the natural environment and public health and safety are called declared plants and land owners have a legal responsibility to manage these plants.

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.

For more information visit the PIRSA Weeds in South Australia web page.

For more information about priority pest plant species within the Murraylands and Riverland region, refer to the 2021-26 Pest Plant Action Plan Summary.

Weeds in the Murraylands and Riverland region:

Priority weed species

African lovegrass

Common name: African lovegrass

Scientific name: Eragrostis curvula

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Related links:

African rue

Common name: African rue

Scientific name: Peganum harmala

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board if found in the Murraylands and Riverland region

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Bathurst burr

Common name: Bathurst burr

Scientific name: Xanthium spinosum

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

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Pest plants

Common name: Bridal veil

Scientific name: Asparagus declinatus

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Pest plants

Common name: Branched broomrape

Scientific name: Orobanche spp

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

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Buffel grass

Common name: Buffel grass

Scientific name: Cenchrus ciliaris

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found

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Coolatai grass

Common name: Coolatai grass

Scientific name: Hyparrhenia hirta

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found

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Common name: Feathertop rhodes

Scientific name: Chloris virgata

Status: Not listed: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Pest plants

Common name: Fountain grass

Scientific name: Cenchrus longisetus

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Pest plants

Common name: Hudson pear

Scientific name: Cylindropuntia pallid, C. truncata

Status: Declared: must be destroyed, banned from sale and movement

Innocent weed

Common name: Innocent weed

Scientific name: Cenchrus incertus

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found

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Khaki weed

Common name: Khaki weed

Scientific name: Alternanthera pungens

Status: Declared: must be destroyed, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found

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Noogoora burr

Common name: Noogoora burr

Scientific name: Xanthium strumarium sp. agg.

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned for sale and movement

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Pest plants

Common name: Olives (wild)

Scientific name: Olea europaea

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Pest plants

Common name: Pampas grass

Scientific name: Cortaderia jubata or Cortaderia selloana

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Silverleaf nightshade

Common name: Silverleaf nightshade

Scientific name: Solanum elaeagnifolium

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned for sale and movement

Related links:

Pest plants

Common name: Spiny rush

Scientific name: Juncus acutus

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Pest plants

Common name: Three-corner Jack

Scientific name: Emex australis

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Pest plants

Common name: Yellow water lily

Scientific name: Nymphaea Mexicana

Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale and movement

Alert weeds

Alkali sida

Common name: Alkali sida

Scientific name: Malvella leprosa

Status: State Alert: must be destroyed, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found
Chilean needle grass

Common name: Chilean needle grass

Scientific name: Nasella neesiana

Status: State Alert: must be destroyed, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found


Related links:

Pest plants

Common name: Salvinia

Scientific name: Salvinia molesta

Status: State Alert: must be destroyed, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found

Texas needle grass

Common name: Texas needle grass

Scientific name: Nassella leucotricha

Status: State Alert: must be destroyed, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found

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Water hyacinth

Common name: Water hyacinth

Scientific name: Eichhornia crassipes

Status: State Alert: must be destroyed, banned from sale and movement

Must notify the landscape board immediately if found


Related links:

Low priority weed species

Athel pine

Common name: Athel pine

Scientific name: Tamarix aphylla

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

Pest plants

Common name: Blackberry

Scientific name: Rubus fruticosus

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

Bladder campion

Common name: Bladder campion

Scientific name: Silene vulgaris

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Calomba daisy

Common name: Calomba daisy

Scientific name: Oncosiphon suffruticosum

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Creeping knapweed

Common name: Creeping knapweed

Scientific name: Acroptilon repens

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Cutleaf mignonette

Common name: Cutleaf mignonette

Scientific name: Reseda lutea

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Dog rose

Common name: Dog rose

Scientific name: Rose canina

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Pest plants

Common name: False caper

Scientific name: Euphorbia terracina

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

Pest plants

Common name: Gazania

Scientific name: Gazania spp.

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

Common name: Giant reed

Scientific name: Arando donax

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

Pest plants

Common name: Gorse

Scientific name: Ulex europaeus

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Hoary cress

Common name: Hoary cress

Scientific name: Cardaria draba

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Pest plants

Common name: Horehound

Scientific name: Marrubium vulgare

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

Common name: Italian buckthorn

Scientific name: Rhamnus alaternus

Status: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

Lincoln weed

Common name: Lincoln weed

Scientific name: Diplotaxis tenuifolia

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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One-leaf cape tulip

Common name: One-leaf cape tulip

Scientific name: Moraea flaccid

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Poison buttercup

Common name: Poison buttercup

Scientific name: Ranunculus sceleratus

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Salvation Jane

Common name: Salvation Jane

Scientific name: Echium plantagineum

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Skeleton weed

Common name: Skeleton weed

Scientific name: Chondrilla juncea

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Two-leaf cape tulip

Common name: Two-leaf cape tulip

Scientific name: Moraea miniata

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale

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Pest plants

Common name: White weeping broom

Scientific name: Retama raetam

Status: Declared: landscape board may require landholders to control, banned from sale