Like crabgrass, the dandelion is so common a lawn weed that most people need little weed-ID help to recognize it. This is the most common dock weed found around farmyards, in damp arable & pasture land, wasteland and gardens. Cultivated Flowers Hydrilla (an oxygen weed) is a branched, submerged aquatic plant that is usually firmly rooted in the bottom mud, but can also be found as a free floating mat. Common Weeds of New Zealand. Clovers are extremely common weeds found in gardens throughout New Zealand. With over 2000 weeds in New Zealand, we do not cover all species, but you will find many of the weeds that commonly cause problems in our pastures, crops, lawns and gardens. Introduced and Invasive Species The word "weed" is not a botanical term that applies to any specific type of plants, but rather it is a cultural bias that can be applied to any plant that grows where it is not wanted. Distinguished from other oxygen weeds by conspicuous toothed leaves. Dandelion weeds: The final two beneficial weeds that make the list offer the benefit of edibility. Photo / Supplied. Clasped pondweed is a submerged, browny-coloured perennial herb with trailing, leafy stems. Water hyacinth forms thick carpets over water surfaces and is a vigorously growing weed. COMMON WEEDS IN NEW ZEALAND B. E. V. Parham and A. J. Healy Photographs by J. Somers Cocks Common Weeds in New Zealand An illustrated guide to their identification bracken Pteridium aquilinum Kuhn var. Weeds can be plants that were intentionally introduced, but escaped cultivation to grow wild. Many invasive pest plants are species that have escaped from gardens and ‘gone wild’. Many common weeds are not invasive and pose no serious threat - they are simply a nuisance. Infestations of this plant can also displace native plants in wetland areas. Weedbusters and Ministry of Primary Industries have more information and images to identify the weeds. As with many weeds, the leaves that grow from the base of the plant are better for telling the docks apart than those up the flower stems, which aren’t always the typical shape. RRP $59.99. These include common weeds, the Department of Conservation consolidated list of environmental weeds in New Zealand (Howell, 2008), the National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) list of species banned from sale, distribution, and propagation in New Zealand, and Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP) species. African oxygen weed is widespread throughout New Zealand and still spreading. Common trees considered weeds include: wattles, willows, tree privet and wilding pines. Because of the thickly growing populations, this weed can disrupt water flow. Commonly called bedstraw, Cleavers (Galium aparine) is a common annual weed found in crops, gardens, hedgerows and waste places throughout New Zealand. You're welcome to join this project if you want to help us learn more about these pest plants and their biology and impacts. You can stop the spread of introduced aquatic plants and animals that compete with, attack or smother our native aquatic species. Introduced Trees & Shrubs | 5. New Zealand has it all. Senecio species: Ragwort. Weeds threaten the long-term survival of some native animals by changing or destroying their habitat, reducing the availability of food or breeding sites, or influencing the way native and introduced animals behave. Sagittaria is an emergent rhizomatous aquatic plant up to 80 cm tall, that can also produce submerged strap-like leaves. These include animal pests, weeds, didymo, and diseases like kauri dieback. SENECIO. With its inherent stickiness the leaves, stems and seeds can cling to human clothing. It spreads rapidly by stout creeping rhizomes, and is capable of forming large, impenetrable stands along stream margins and in marshes and ditches. The most common dock found in turf situations is “fiddle dock”. A free-floating fern, with 2 leaf types. It is often found in dams, ponds, drains, lakes and some slow moving waterways. Clover flower heads are often visited by bees. Common garden weed, spur valerian, wreaking havoc on native vegetation in Lyttelton Harbour. Podocarps & Araucarians | 6. Mexican water lily has underwater rhizomes, creeping stolons and floating leaves, often with dark brown flecks on the upper surface. Only a handful of invasive weed species have ever been successfully eradicated from NZ - once weeds get a foothold here, they are very expensive and difficult to get rid of. Appropriate acknowledgement of the original source or publication must always be given. Botanical Name: Cenchrus macrourus. Flowerhead a 40-60 cm long panicle, purplish or red-brown, with many seeds, November to December. 26 Oct, 2020 08:53 PM 2 minutes to read. Pest search . Alternatively, you can browse the complete list or by groups. Water hyacinth plants have a free-floating rosette of shiny rounded leaves with thick masses of feathery roots which hang in the water. White Clover (Trifolium repens) is a native of Europe and is common in pastures, roadsides, wasteland and lawns throughout New Zealand. Botanical Name: Eragrostis curvula. These grow as rosettes, with leaves … To identify a pest plant, enter the name of the plant. It has a central stem (15-50 cm tall) carrying small white flowers and buds that are heartshaped. It competes with and displaces native plants, and can also block dams and waterways. Any of these plants, and most of the weeds in New Zealand, are easy to identify with my book Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification. In NZ they are weeds, but can be grown in some parts of the world for their edible leaves. Dandelion seeds are like parachutes that fly away in the wind—they're the plants that you would blow on and "make a wish" when you were younger. With its scrambling growth habit, cleavers can compete and smother slow growing crops like fodder beet. In our full guide below, myhomeTURF offers lawn lovers a comprehensive guide that helps identify Common Lawn Weeds and gives guidance on prevention, control & best herbicides to use . Scrolling down the page, for example, crocosmia is native to Africa, but widely planted as an ornamental. It forms dense beds of vegetation which can displace other submerged plants and block dams and waterways. Its recent discovery in Lake Waikaremoana is cause for concern and there is an eradication programme currently in place. Botanical Name: Olea europeaea subsp. Identification: Its leaves are lobed but vary widely in shape even among plants growing together. It forms dense beds of vegetation that shade out smaller native species, and it can contribute to blockage and flooding. Botanical Name: Selaginella kraussiana. Unfortunately, weeds are often excellent at surviving and reproducing and are commonly the first plants to colonise and dominate. Ian Popay, Paul Champion, Trevor James (2010) ISBN 978-0-473-16285-6. Common Weeds of New ZealandIntroduced and Invasive Species. Or they can be unwanted plants that were accidentally introduced with other seeds or merely hitch-hiked a ride on clothes, livestock, or other baggage. Annual. African oxygen weed Lagarosiphon major. Weeds that seriously threaten New Zealand’s native species, ecosystems and conservation lands are old man's beard (Clematis vitalba), wild ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum and Hedychium flavescens), pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana and Cortaderia jubata) and contorta pine (Pinus contorta). It forms extensive infestations in shallow waterways, where it can seriously restrict water flow, increase sedimentation, and aggravate flooding. Eelgrass is an attached, submerged aquatic plant. Introduced Weeds | 3. This popular and indispensable guide to the identification of weeds in New Zealand is now in its third edition. It has the potential to become an unmanageable aquatic nuisance in waterways, where it can impede drainage, block access, and displace desirable native species. Our pest search website has photos and descriptions of all pests in Auckland. Leaves are up to 4 cm long and occur in whorls of 7-12. Alligator weed is a sprawling, rooted perennial herb that can grow in both dry terrestrial and aquatic conditions. Please send me an e-mail to report mistakes or to inquire about purchasing high resolution photos of these plants. Grows in still or slow flowing fresh water such as dams, ponds, lakes, drains, swamps, wetlands. Help us improve the DOC website on mobile in less than 5 min. Its recent discovery in Lake Waikaremoana is cause for concern and there is an eradication programme currently in place. There are a number of species of senecio that are classed as weeds in Northland. African oxygen weed is widespread throughout New Zealand and still spreading. Biodiversity inventory and monitoring toolbox, Weeds that pose serious threats to New Zealand. However docks can adapt to mowing. Weeds that are trees or shrubs overtop or replace other plants and alter the composition of native plant communities, often preventing native plant regeneration. BOTANICAL NAME: Senecio jacobaea: Common Name, Ragwort. Common weeds that are shrubs include: barberry, gorse, heather, broom and buddleja. The roots are dark in colour and can reach 2.5 m in length. Some plants were brought because they were useful for cooking or as medicine, but became weeds when they escaped from gardens and smothered other plants. Some selective herbicides will kill broadleaf weeds without harming surrounding grasses. Publication or other use of images or descriptive text on these pages is … Clovers have creeping stems and distinctive leaves which are quite small and slightly notched at the tip. cuspidata. Spur valerian. Your web browser must have JavaScript enabled in order for this application to display correctly. If you see any of these plants, take note of the location and inform your local DOC office. Family: Selaginellaceae (club moss) More... African feather grass. A single flowering stalk with a cluster of mauve-blue flowers, each with a yellow spot, is produced from the rosette. Many weeds were accidentally brought to New Zealand by early settlers, for example as seeds in bedding, hay or straw. May 4, 2016 - Explore Durfee Betts's board "Common Weeds" on Pinterest. Yellow flowers mature to puffballs. Appearance: This common lawn weed has a strong taproot; leaves are deeply notched. Lawn Weed Control Tip: Mulch to prevent dandelions in gardens. Lagarosiphon can be distinguished from other oxygen weeds as its leaves have a distinctive downward curl. NZ Herald. This project is a place to share your observations of old and new weeds in New Zealand. There are also other weeds such as rush, liverwort, twincress and pearlwort that might be in the top 20 in certain situations. Broad-leafed docks (Rumex obtusifolius) grow prolifically throughout New Zealand. Famously known as the poison which killed Socrates, hemlock is alive and living in New Zealand, and is still capable of causing death or at least birth defects in pregnant animals which eat the foliage. Gorse, one of New Zealand’s worst weeds, was originally brought from England for farm hedges. Some similar and related species to weeds are also included here. Publication or other use of images or descriptive text on these pages is unauthorised unless written permission is obtained from the photographer, authors, or publisher. The plants described here pose the most serious threats. Pull dandelion weeds by hand or use a postemergence … There are also other weeds such as privet, gorse, broom and ragwort that might be in the top … Freshwater weeds degrade New Zealand's wetlands and waterways. Juvenile leaves well-spaced, small, lying on surface. The leaves are very large and broad (up to 35 cm long and 15 … Some weeds are rather useless from a human perspective, while others have wonderful edible, medicinal, or utilitatarian properties. Each page has information on how to identify the featured weed (with photos) as well as information about the weed and some suggestions on how best to control it. Order from Nationwide Book Distributors. Biosecurity helps to prevent damage caused by unwanted organisms. Mature leaves are more common, crowded, compacted, folded about midrib, 1-4 x 1-5 cm, rounded, upper surfaces have many rows of water-repellent basket-like hairs. 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