There is a wide range of pest plants in Otago, a lot of them are escapees that were brought in to New Zealand for people’s gardens but jumped the fence and spread across our landscapes causing trouble for our native biodiversity.
Not all garden escapees are included in our pest plan for various reasons but that doesn’t mean they’re not weedy. Weedbusters has a lot of information or various pest plants and if you’re having trouble identifying a plant, iNaturalist is tool that allows you to add observations and have experts identify it for you.
Read our Pest versus Weed factsheet to see how we decide what is a pest plant under our Regional Pest Management Plan.
African feather grass
Management: Exclusion. A tussocky grass that forms thick clumps up to 2m high.
African love grass
Management: Progressive containment programme. Grows as clumps of grass up to 1.5m tall with small white flowers and black-olive/purple seeds.
Banana passionfruit
Management: Site-led programme
Bomarea
Management: Progressive containment programme
Boneseed
Management: Progressive containment programme
Broom
Management: Sustained control programme
Bur daisy
Management: Progressive containment programme. A small, stringy perennial herb growing up to 40cm tall, with thin green hairy leaves, fine branches, and bright yellow pom-pom-like flowers that turn into hard brown burs covered in tiny hooks.
Cape ivy
Management: Progressive containment programme
Chilean flame creeper
Management: Site-led programme
Chilean needle grass
Management: Exclusion programme
Darwin's barberry
Management: Site-led programme
False tamarisk
Management: Exclusion programme
Giant Hogweed
Management: Organism of Interest (OOI)
Gorse
Management: Sustained control programme
Great willowherb
Management: Unwanted Organism
Gunnera
Management: Site-led programme
Moth plant
Management: Exclusion programme
Nassella tussock
Management: Progressive containment programme
Nodding thistle
Management: Sustained control programme
Old Man's Beard
Management: Progressive containment programme
Perennial nettle
Management: Progressive containment programme
Purple loosestrife
Management: Unwanted Organism
Ragwort
Management: Sustained control programme
Spartina
Management: Progressive containment programme
Spiny broom
Management: Eradication programme
Sycamore
Management: Site-led programme
Tradescantia
Management: Site-led programme
White-edged nightshade
Management: Progressive containment programme
Wild Russell lupin
Management: Sustained control programme
Wilding conifers
Management: Progressive containment programme
Yellow Flag Iris
Management: Unwanted Organism. Yellow Flag Iris Y is poisonous to humans and animals. It grows up to 1.5 meters tall, with broad, flat, sword-shaped leaves, and bright yellow flowers.
