Cabomba

Cabomba is a perennial submerged rooted aquatic herb.

Description

• Submerged leaves are 70mm long, opposite, finely divided and fan-shaped.

• Floating leaves are 20 mm long, alternate, entire and elongated. Appearing during flowering.

• Flowers are small, white with yellow centres and appearing just above the water's surface in summer.

• Each flower produces 2-4 leathery seedpods that contain 3 seeds.

• Seed set is rare. Vegetative spread from stem fragments and rhizomes, dispersed by water.

• Habitats include standing or slow-moving water bodies, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, ditches and streams.

What you need to know

Cabomba can form dense stands, displacing native aquatic herb species, altering habitat availability for fish and invertebrates and affecting water quality. It can impede recreational water access to water bodies.

Management approach

Cabomba 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 cabomba yourself. Report sightings to the MPI on Exotic Pest Hotline at 0800 80 99 66 or the online reporting form.

If you've been in a waterway and plan to move to another within 48 hours, you must clean all your gear that has been wet using the 'Check, Clean, Dry' method.

It's vital that everyone uses the Check, Clean, Dry method on all equipment and vessels to stop freshwater pests.