Tutsan

Tutsan is a semi-evergreen perennial, hairless shrub growing up to 1.5 metres tall.

Description

• Stems are slender, semi-woody and often reddish

• Leaves are 15 x 8cm, fragrant usually bluish underneath, turning red in autumn.

• Flowers are yellow with long stamens visible between November-February.

• Fruits are green berries that ripen to black containing cylindrical seeds.

• Seeds are dispersed by birds, possums, water, and soil movements.

• Habitats include forest, woodland, forest margins, riparian areas, roadsides, regenerating scrub, and pasture.

What you need to know

Tutsan forms dense stands, excluding native vegetation and supressing seedling recruitment. It may affect habitat availability and food resources for native and exotic fauna. It reduces pasture and plantation productivity, causes photosensitisation and dermatitis in livestock.

Management approach

Tutsan 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, or multiplied, communicated, released, or cause 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 or pull-out small plants and seedlings

Plant parts requiring disposal: seeds

Chemical control

Cut plant close to the ground and immediately treat the stump with herbicide gel containing glyphosate or metsulfuron-methyl.

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

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

Foliar spray with 6ml picloram/triclopyr mix plus 1ml non-ionic surfactant per 1L of water.

Spread pellets containing picloram (20g/kg) underneath the plant at a maximum of 55g/square metres.

Caution: When using any herbicide or pesticide please read the label thoroughly to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.