Weeds in the Yass Valley

Yass Valley Council Biosecurity Weeds Officers are seeking cooperation from landholders in helping them control invasive priority weeds in the Yass Valley.

Biosecurity Weeds Inspectors, Brett Lees and David Jarratt, are conducting property inspections across the Yass Valley Local Government Area and stress their role is to work with landholders to identify the presence of invasive weeds and then come up with a way to effectively manage any weeds that are present.

“We want to work with landholders to protect their land, and that of their neighbours, from priority weeds infestation. The priority weeds are called invasive weeds for a reason, they readily invade pastures and native environments and quickly become established, and, at which point, control and treatment becomes very difficult and very expensive,” Mr Lees said.

“While landholders in the district can identify more common weeds such as Blackberry and Serrated Tussock, most struggle to identify African Lovegrass or Chilean Needle Grass, which are equally as damaging to the landscape once established.”

One of the weeds of concerns is Sticky Nightshade. Mr Lees was recently advised by his Biosecurity Officer colleagues from the Hilltops Shire of what appeared to be a Sticky Nightshade plant growing on the Lachlan Valley Way. It was soon determined that the sole plant was in fact Sticky Nightshade. The plant was removed and disposed of.

Sticky Nightshade (Solanum sisymbriifolium) is an erect plant to 1.5m high. Most of the plant is hairy and covered in very sharp prickles. It is an annual or short-lived perennial. Multiple, severe frosts may kill the above ground parts of the plant but it will reshoot from rhizomes in spring. It can flower within five weeks of germination or regrowth from rhizomes. The plant can injure people, pets, livestock and native animals. It also contains steroidal glycoalkaloids toxins and is suspected to have caused cattle deaths in the Greater Sydney Region.

If you believe you have seen Sticky Nightshade on your property, please contact Yass Valley Council’s Biosecurity Weeds officers on 6226 1477.

• Topics:

• Rural Roundup