Weeds of Our Region

NQ Dry Tropics helps to coordinate the management of weeds. We have a plan (the Pest Management Strategy) that identifies target weeds in order of priority. It also outlines who is responsible for managing them.

Introduction

The dry tropics has many established and emerging tree, shrub, grass and water weeds.

Some are native to South America and Africa and have been introduced to Australia as garden plants or cattle fodder. NQ Dry Tropics is funded to manage priority weeds or Weeds of National Significance.

Here is an indication of just some of the weeds you will see when you're driving around our region. Some are targeted species within our projects.

Leucaena is a tree that was introduced by pastoralists as fodder. It thrives along river banks as does the yellow flowered yellow oleander.  Mesquite is a small, thorny shrub or tree with small greenish-cream flowers that has established in waterways and floodplains, along roadsides and near homesteads.

Parkinsonia is another tree weed. It has yellow flowers and can grow up to 10 metres. Prickly acacia is also a weed in the region.

Rubber vine is a climbing shrub with white flowers and is a Weed of National Significance. Siam weed is also a fast growing shrub that scrambles over other plants.

Mimosa pigra is another of the dry tropic’s undesirables. Mature plants branch with thorns up to six metres high and it has an extremely long tap root.  The pink or mauve-flowered plant is  also a Weed of National Significance.

One of the most disliked shrubs in Queensland, lantana, with its multi-coloured flowers, is also in the dry tropics.

The tall, thorny chinee apple shrub grows throughout the region as does rubber vine which establishes in thick clumps.  Bellyache bush has red flowers with yellow centres and grows to four metres.

Parthenium is a herb that grows up to two metres tall and has a deep taproot and small, white flowers. It’s a Weed of National Significance.

Some of the grass weeds include para grass which can grow up to three metres high as can Guinea grass. Grader grass is quick to establish on road sides. Giant rat’s tail grass and gamba grass are also problems in the dry tropics.

Weeds have also taken over some wetlands like blankets of carpet. Common water weeds in the dry tropics include the blue flowering water hyacinth and the deep-water grass hymenachne.

Want to know more?

The Burdekin Dry Tropics NRM Region Pest Management Strategy is a comprehensive book that sorts pests and weeds into order of priority and outlines who is responsible for them. Most local governments in our region have signed off on it.

Grader Grass Management Guide. This guide helps landholders identify and manage grader grass through a number of options including grazing, fire, slashing and spraying.

For more information see 'weeds' under the the 'plants' section at www.dpi.qld.gov.au/