Mexican daisy

Mexican daisy is a ground cover plant that forms dense mats, preventing germination.

Description

• Stems are slender, sprawling up to 70cm long, either sparsely hairy or hairless. They branch and root at all nodes.

• Leaves are small and narrow, upper leaves are usually 3-lobed.

• Flowers are daisy like, white/pink/purple with yellow/brown central discs visible from September-May.

• Seeds are dispersed by wind and fragments by water, soil, and vehicle movement.

• Habitats include cliffs, forest and riparian margins, shrubland, rocky outcrops, sand dunes, and roadsides.

What you need to know

Mexican daisy forms dense mats, supressing native short-stature plant growth and recruitment.

Management approach

Mexican daisy 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.

To help protect our environment:

Consider removing this invasive species from your property and consult your local council for appropriate disposal. Consider lower-risk alternatives for your garden, such as native plants.

Control

Site management

Follow up treated areas 3 times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after 2-3 treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Physical control

Dig out, avoid large scale soil disturbance to reduce the risk of other weeds growing

Plant parts requiring disposal: all parts

Contact your local council for appropriate disposal options

Chemical control

Foliar spray with 20ml glyphosate plus 2ml penetrant per 1L of water.

Foliar spray with 0.5g metsulfuton-methyl plus 3ml penetrant per 1L of water.

Foliar spray with 12.5ml clopyralid 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.