Aristea

An evergreen perennial with woody rhizomes. Aristea has stiff, upright, iris-like leaves that grow in clumps up to 70 cm tall.

Description

• Leaves are < 40 cm long, erect and often in a flattened fan.

• Flowers are blue, in clusters of 5-7.

• Seeds pods are three-sided, with dark red-brown seeds.

• Seeds dispersed by water. Vegetative spread from rhizomes, dispersed by water.

• Habitats include open and disturbed sites, roadsides, forest, scrubland, coastlines, rocky, and bare sites.

What you need to know

Aristea can form dense stands, displacing other species and opening canopy to invasion from other weeds.

Management approach

Aristea is declared an unwanted organism by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) because it is capable of causing harm to the natural environment, physical resources or human health in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

These species pose a high risk to our environment, economy, recreation, and cultural values.

Rules

Any species declared a pest cannot be sold or be in a place where plants are being sold. Pest plants cannot be propagated, bred, multiplied, communicated, released, caused to be released, or otherwise spread.

Control

Do not attempt to undertake control of aristea yourself. Report any sightings to us.