Boneseed

Boneseed is an evergreen shrub less than three metres tall with bright yellow flowers. It outcompetes native plants, promotes weed growth, and increases fire risk.

Description

• Stems are woolly and ribbed when young, becoming smooth with age.
• Leaves are smooth, leathery, bright green, irregularly serrated and alternate.
• Flowers are bright yellow and are produced from September to February.
• Fruit is hard, oval and green ripening to black.
• Seeds are dispersed by birds and other animals such as possums.
• Habitats include disturbed sites and coastal fringes.

What you need to know

Outcompetes native plants in open habitats. Can alter plant community composition through allelopathy and competition, change patterns of nutrient cycling, and promote weeds. Increases fire risk.

Management approach

This is a declared pest managed under the Canterbury Regional Management Plan 2018 – 2038 (PDF file, 10.6MB) within the sustained control programme.

Sustained control

Pests in the sustained control programme vary greatly in their distribution across the region. Some are found in low numbers, while others are already well-established pests.

The intention of the sustained control programme is to reduce the impact on values and spread of a pest onto neighbouring properties.

Boneseed is also 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, cause to be released, or otherwise spread.

Control

Site management

Follow up treated areas three times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after two to three treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Physical control

Pull out seedlings and small plants.

Plant parts requiring disposal: seeds.

Cut off any seed heads and put them into your red bin (if available) or landfill as seeds won't be destroyed in most home composting systems. The rest of the plant can be home composted or put into the green bin (if available).

Chemical control

Cut larger plants close to the ground and paste the stump with herbicide gel containing glyphosate, metsulfuron, or picloram.

Alternatively, you can foliar spray with 20ml glyphosate plus 2ml penetrant per 1L of water.

Caution: When using any herbicide or pesticide please read the label thoroughly to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.

Biological control

Check for the presence of boneseed leafroller (Tortrix s.l. sp. chrysanthemoides).