Oxylobium

Oxylobium is a tall evergreen shrub less than 8m tall. It competes with native short-stature plants and may facilitate the invasion of other exotic plants.

Description

• Evergreen shrub less than 8m tall.
• Stems are angular and densely hairy.
• Leaves are narrow, oval, less than 8cm long, silky when young and smooth when mature.
• Flowers are yellow-orange, pea-like, visible in spring. Seed pods are hard and ribbed when mature.
• Seeds dispersed by water and movement of contaminated soil by livestock.
• Human-mediated dispersal through dumping of garden waste and movement of contaminated soil on machinery and vehicles.
• Habitats include shrubland, grassland, tussock, wetlands, wasteland and other disturbed areas.

What you need to know

Competes with native short-stature plants. Nitrogen fixer. May facilitate the invasion of other exotic plants.

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 oxylobium 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 oxylobium yourself. Report any sightings to us.