Weed Potential

As a weedCape Wattle is highly invasive and infests areas primarily along the coast in woodlands, forests or along water courses and in disturbed bushland margins. Major infestations occur from New South Wales to Tasmania and extending to South Australia, in regions with an annual rainfall over 600mm (2ft).

It forms dense stands that inhibiting the development of native tree or shrub seedlings and preventing ground flora from growing. Cape Wattle is very fast growing and can produce fruit with in a year. It can live for up to 20-years producing thousands of seeds annually.

The seeds can remain dormant in the soil for up to 10-years and Cape Wattle can fix nitrogen in the soil adding fertility and encouraging seedling growth. The seeds are dispersed by birds, ants or water and in soil or garden waste.

Controlmethods include physically digging out seedlings and small plants ensuring that the roots are removed. Young trees can be drilled or scraped and painted or injected with a non-selective herbicide.

Larger plants can be ring-barked or cut down and fruiting branches bagged and destroyed. Young plants or seedlings may be sprayed with a non-selective herbicide during spring while the plant is actively growing but follow up spraying will be required over the next 12-months. Avoid burning mature plants as this encourages seed germination.