YOUR WEED CONTROL GUIDE

Our gardens & reserves are Please be a good neighbour and rid your
suffering from out of control backyard of weeds which can spread and
harm your environment. Get free tips,
invasive weeds which may be tools, and training from your local group.
in your backyard, business,
local park or bush area. These are some of the environmental
weeds which have a habit of spreading
widely, growing vigorously and destroying
We’d love your help. our precious natural environment.

Five minutes work this week,

save hours of work next year.

How To Use This Guide

The weeds are listed in alphabetical order
within categories: trees, shrubs, climbers,
palms, and ground covers. Indicated for
each weed are codes for adverse effects
and options for organic and herbicide
control. The codes are explained in the
key on page 2. Some of these weeds are
really difficult to kill so repeated effort
may be required.

Environmental weeds
have been found in your
neighbourhood.
Are they growing on your property?
Someone may have ticked them to help
you get started. Can you check your
backyard or reserve?

Go to www.forestandbird.org.nz/weedguide for more information.

 Adverse Effect:
Key:
A.E
HOW DOES THIS PLANT ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR ENVIRONMENT?

How To A1

A2
Climbs up trees and shrubs
and smothers them
A5

A6
Health risk – eg injury from spines,
breathing issues, allergies
Forms a dense ground cover

Interpret
Seeds blown a long distance
by wind and can spread to which stops regeneration of
offshore islands native plants
A3 Seeds eaten by birds and A7 Irritant sap

The Codes A4
dispersed a long distance into
other gardens and bush areas
Will regrow from small fragments
A8 Sours soil preventing regrowth of
many natives

Organic Herbicide Control

O.C H.C
Control OPTIONS FOR USING THE MIN. AMOUNT OF THE RIGHT HERBICIDE

O1 Dig out including roots (bulbs/ H1 Fell/cut stump and paint with a contractor). Drill 18mm holes
nuts/corms/tubers, etc) if small glyphosate gel (tangentially angled downwards)
enough in a spiral up the truck. For 50mm
H2 Fell/Cut and paint stump with stems one hole. For 100mm – two
O2 Keep stems/roots off ground eg 1-2mm layer double strength
holes. Larger stems – 150mm apart
hang in a tree, or they may regrow glyphosate gel ensuring rim of
or sprout new roots stump is pasted H13 Drill and inject large trees with
metsulfuron 10g per litre if safe
O3 Bag up seeds/seed pods and H3 Fell/Cut and paint stump with to do so- see guidelines for killing
dispose of in rubbish or bury 1-2mm layer of metsulfuron gel
standard trees (may require a
deeply ensuring rim of stump is pasted
contractor). Drill 18mm holes
O4 Deadhead flowers before fruiting/ H4 Cut and spray stump with (tangentially angled downwards)
seeding to avoid seed dispersal metsulfuron 5g per litre and in a spiral up the truck. For 50mm
penetrant 1ml per litre of water stems one hole. For 100mm – two
O5 Fell/Cut – no need to paint stump
holes. Larger stems – 150mm
if >100mm diameter H5 Paint stem for 30cm with
apart.
metsulfuron gel and cut above
O6 Fell/Cut and cover stump with
thick black polythene to exclude
the painted stem H14 Trees are best poisoned a few
weeks before felling to prevent
light, cover polythene and entire H6 Scrape 30cm of stem with a saw
regrowth from small branches
root zone with 150mm deep mulch blade and paint this area with
for 12 months picloram gel H15 Paint both the stump and cut
O7 stem if cut stems cannot be
Place in sealed black weed H7 Ring bark, paint edges of ring bark
kept off ground
bags for 12 months or more to with metsulfuron gel. Avoid using
decompose metsulfuron near any fern species H16 Picloram gel is ineffective on this
species
O8 Leave cut vines in trees to die, H8 Foliage spray with glyphosate
don’t pull down 20ml per litre, with penetrant H17 Place cut leaves over the top of
1ml per litre painted stems to keep rain off
O9 Use hook on long pole to retrieve
seed pods before they open H9 Foliage spray with metsulfuron H18 Before spraying pull weeds away
0.5g per litre, with penetrant from valued trees eg tree ferns
O10 Keep hedges well-trimmed to 1ml per litre
prevent fruiting H19 Paint stem for 30cm with double
H10 Foliage spray with triclopyr strength glyphosate gel and
(600g/l) 6ml per litre with leave to die, scrape larger stems
penetrant 1ml per litre with saw blade first
Is your property is H11 Cut stems above waist height, H20 Cut and spray stump tubers with
looking pretty good? wait for regrowth, then spray with metsulfuron 0.5g/L + penetrant
metsulfuron 0.5g per litre with 1ml per litre of water
penetrant 1ml per litre
If you have your own property H21 Ring bark and paint edges of
under good pest plant control, H12 Drill and inject large trees with ring bark with double strength
how about joining a weedbusting glyphosate at 500ml per litre if glyphosate gel
or restoration group in your area safe to do so - See guidelines for
and help rid your neighbourhood killing standing trees (may require
or local reserve of pest plants
Cotoneaster Loquat Monkey Apple
Cotoneaster glaucophyllus Eryobotria japonica Syzygium smithii (Acmena)
A3 A3 A3
O1 O6 O1 O6 O1 O6 O10
H3 H4 H9 H13 H3 H7 H9 H12 H3 H4 H7 H9 H13

TREES
Privet - Chinese Privet - Tree Wattle - Sydney Golden + Others
Ligustrum sinensis Ligustrum lucidum Acacia species
A3 A4 A3 A3 A8
O1 O2 O6 O1 O2 O6 O1 O5
H4 H9 H13 H15 H3 H4 H9 H13 H2 H8 H12 H21

Willow - Crack, Grey Woolly Nightshade Evergreen Buckthorn

Salix fragilis Solanum mauritianum Rhamnus alaternus
A4 A3 A5 A8 A3
O1 O2 O1 O3 O4 O6 O1 O6
H1 H8 H12 H14 H15 H2 H6 H19 H3 H4 H7 H9 H13
SHRUBS

Gorse Japanese Spindleberry Queen of the Night

Ulex species Euonymus japonicus Cestrum nocturnum
A5 A3 A3
O1 O1 O2 O6 O1 O2 O6
H1 H3 H4 H9 H10 H3 H9 H15 H1 H15 H19
Banana Passionfruit Blue Morning Glory Climbing/Bushy Asparagus
Passiflora tripartita Ipomoea indica Asparagus scandens/asparagoides
A1 A1 A1 A3
O1 O3 O7 O8 O1 O2 O7 O8 O1 O2 O7 O8
H3 H9 H3 H9 H11 H8 H18

CLIMBERS
Elaeagnus Ivy Japanese Honeysuckle
Elaeagnus x reflexa Hedera helix Lonicera japonica
A1 A3 A5 A6 A1 A7 A1
O1 O2 O6 O8 O1 O2 O7 O8 O1 O2 O7
H3 H4 H9 H13 H15 H2 H3 H9 H3 H9

Jasmine Madeira Vine Moth Plant

Jasminum polyanthum Anredera cordifolia Araujia hortorum
A1 A6 A1 A4 A1 A2 A7
O1 O2 O7 O1 O2 O3 O7 O8 O1 O2 O3 O9
H3 H9 H11 H3 H3 H5 H9
PALMS

Bangalow Palm Chinese Windmill Palm Phoenix Palm

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana Trachycarpus fortuneii Phoenix canariensis
A3 A3 A3 A5
O1 O2 O3 O4 O6 O1 O2 O3 O4 O6 O1 O2 O3 O4 O6
H1 H8 H12 H1 H8 H12 H1 H8 H12
Agapanthus Arum Lily, Green Goddess Bamboo
Agapanthus praecox Zantedeschia aethiopica Phyllostachys species
A6 A3 A6 A6
O1 O2 O4 O6 O7 O1 O2 O3 O1 O2
H10 H3 H9 H10 H17 H2 H8 H16

GROUND COVERS
Bears Breeches Giant Reed Ginger - Wild
Acanthus mollis Arundo donax Hedychium gardnerianum
A6 A6 A3 A4 A6
O1 O2 O4 O7 O1 O2 O1 O2 O3
H3 H9 H10 H17 H2 H8 H16 H3 H9 H17 H20

Kikuyu Grass Montbretia Palm Grass

Pennisetum clandestinum Crocosmia X crocosmiiflora Setaria palmifolia
A6 A3 A4 A6
O1 O1 O2 O3 O7 O1 O2 O3 O7
H8 H8 H8

Pampas Grass Plectranthus Tradescantia,Wandering Willie

Cortaderia selloana, C.jubata Plectranthus ciliatus Tradescantia fluminensis
A2 A6 A4 A6 A4 A6
O1 O2 O4 O1 O2 O7 O1 O2 O7
H1 H8 H8 H10
 Control Methods

Composting Weed Cut & Spray Backpack Sprayer Cut & Paint
Bag / Ginger Barrel Addition of marker dye helps Use a long brass wand & brass Take care if cutting weed trees
Bag for onsite composting & show where you have been. cone nozzle (for a round, fo- not to damage emerging
barrel to break down by soaking. cussed spray) & anti drip filter. natives. Stack carefully.

Ring Bark & Paint Scrape & Paint Drill & Inject Dig Out & Hang in Tree

Herbicide Use Guidelines Chemicals In This Guide

• Keep herbicide use to a minimum Glyphosate
• Follow all precautions on product labels • Liquid eg Roundup. Mixes calculated using 360g/l
• Before working on public land contact the • Gel eg Cut’n’Paste gel, Bamboo Buster gel
relevant authority for guidance (double strength)
• The only approved herbicide around waterways
• Know which herbicides can be used by
volunteers in parks Metsulfuron
• Know the pitfalls of herbicide use e.g. spray • Granules eg Escort. Formula calculations based on
drift and damage to non-target plants. Take using 600g/kg product.
care around waterways and valuable trees
• Gel eg Metgel. Moves through the soil killing non
• A qualification e.g. Growsafe is required target plants. Do not use around base of valuable
in order to use some herbicides trees or close to waterways
• Use marker dye (colour for spray) so you and
others can see where you have been working Marker Dye

• Repeat applications may be needed • Eg Envirodye – bright blue colour can be added to
spray mix or gel so you and others can see where
• Follow up every 3 months until you are sure
you have been working
you are successful – control may take years
• No single herbicide will kill all plants Picloram
• When stump is near valued trees consider using • Gel eg Vigilant, Triumph. This herbicide has been
glyphosate as less toxic to surrounding species largely removed from this edition of the weed guide,
except for woolly nightshade control. Picloram has a
This weed guide was developed by: high risk of damage to non target species. There are
safer alternatives.
Forest & Bird
www.forestandbird.org.nz Triclopyr
Pest Free Kaipātiki • Eg Grazon 600 g/litre (Yates hydrocotle killer is
www.pestfreekaipatiki.org.nz only 120g/litre). Effective on tradescantia and other
Restore Hibiscus & Bays broadleaf weeds. Will not kill grasses.
www.restorehb.org.nz