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.
District weed strategies
Find out more about Landscape Groups and the work of the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board.
Priority weeds in the South Australian Arid Lands region
Common name: African boxthorn
Scientific name: Lycium ferocissimum
Status: Weed of National Significance. Must be controlled, banned from sale, restriction of movement on road
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Common name: African rue
Scientific name: Peganum harmala
Status: Declared: must be controlled, banned from sale.
Notify: must notify Landscape SA if found.
Common name: Athel pine
Scientific name: Tamarix aphylla
Status: Weed of National Significance. Must be controlled within 100m of a watercourse.
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Common name: Bathurst burr
Scientific name: Xanthium sponosum
Status: Declared in SA. Must be controlled
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Common name: Buffel grass
Scientific name: Cenchrus ciliaris
Status: Declared: must be controlled
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Common name: Cactus
Scientific name: Opuntia, Cylidropuntia and Austrocylindropuntia spp.
Status: Weed of National Significance. Must be controlled.
Related links: Cactus control in the SA Arid Lands
Common name: Carrion Flower
Scientific name: Orbea variegata
Status: Declared in SA
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Common name: Date palm
Scientific name: Phoenix dactylifera
Status: Not declared: poses risk around watercourses
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Common name: Fountain grass
Scientific name: Cenchrus setaceus
Status: Declared in SA. Not to be sold.
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Common name: Innocent weed
Scientific name: Cenchrus longispinus and Cenchrus spinifex
Status: Declared in SA. Must be controlled.
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Common name: Khaki weed
Scientific name: Alternanthera pungens
Status: Declared in SA. Must be controlled and Landscape Group notified.
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Common name: Mesquite
Scientific name: Prosopis
Status: Weed of National Significance & Alert Weed. Must be controlled and Landscape Group notified
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Common name: Noogoora burr
Scientific name: Xanthium str umarium
Status: Declared in SA. Must be controlled and Landscape group notified.
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Common name: Oleander
Scientific name: Apocynaceae
Status: Declared: must be controlled.
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Common name: Parkinsonia
Scientific name: Cercidium
Status: Weed of National Significance & Alert Weed. Must be controlled and Landscape group notified.
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Common name: Pepper tree
Scientific name: Schinus
Status: Not declared: poses risk around watercourses.
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Common name: Prickly acacia
Scientific name: Acacia nilotica
Status: Weed of National Significance. Must be controlled and Landscape group notified
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