Parrot's feather

A submerged, bottom-rooted, sprawling aquatic herb with tiny flowers. Parrot's feather displaces native species and decreases invertebrate diversity.

Description

• Leaves are finely divided, feathery, and arranged in whorls of four to six.
• Flowers are minute, female, and produced from September to February.
• Vegetative spread from rhizome and stem fragments, dispersed by water movement.
• Human-mediated dispersal through contamination of machinery, boats and equipment.
• Habitats include still or slow-moving water bodies.

What you need to know

Displaces native plant species, decreasing native plant species’ richness. Decreases invertebrate abundance and diversity in invaded water bodies.

Management approach

Parrot's feather 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, including unwanted organisms, 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.

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

If you see parrot's feather, don't attempt to remove it, instead leave it where you found it and follow the Check, Clean, Dry method.

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.