Broomsedge

An erect perennial clumping grass no taller than 1m. It is an aggressive coloniser which suppresses the growth of surrounding plants.

Description

• Stems are flattened and sheaths have long hairs.
• Narrow, green or bluish-green leaves that turn straw-coloured with age with hairs at their base.
• Flower heads are long and thin, straw-coloured and with hairy seeds.
• Seeds are dispersed by wind, water, animal fur, clothing, vehicles and movement of soil and agricultural produce.
• Habitats include grasslands, pastures, roadsides, wastelands, and open disturbed areas.

What you need to know

Aggressive coloniser that forms dense stands and suppresses the growth of surrounding plants (allelopathy).

Management approach

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

Exclusion

Pests in the exclusion programme are not known to be established in Waitaha/Canterbury. If these pests were to become widely established, their impacts could be severe.

Therefore, early intervention by preventing their establishment is a cost-effective management approach.

The community should make us aware of any broomsedge plants in Waitaha/Canterbury.

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 broomsedge yourself. Report sightings to us.