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Angled heath (Erica quadrangularis)

Angled heath has escaped cultivation and naturalised in parts of southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. It is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria and a potential environmental weed in other parts of southern Australia.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: South African Cape.

Established in: VIC, SA.

Other names: Baby heath, Square heath, Easter Heather, Spring Heather.

Best time to act: Look for plants when they flower from July to November, and treat before seed has ripened.

Identification

  • An upright shrub growing to about 600 mm tall, with branches that mostly extend outwards and nearly horizontally.
  • From mid-winter to early summer, usually July to November, it can be covered in masses of small, cup-shaped flowers.
  • The flowers are about 2–3 mm long and white, white tinged with pink, or shades from pale to rosy pink.
  • The corolla is four-angled, reflected in the species name quadrangularis.
  • It can form dense colonies.
  • Look-alike: Other heaths, including native Erica species, may look similar; check the shrub’s growth form and the small, four-angled flowers.

Where it grows

In Australia it has naturalised in parts of southern Victoria and south-eastern South Australia.

Why it matters

  • It is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria and a potential environmental weed in other parts of southern Australia.
  • Dense colonies can occupy sites and compete with other vegetation.
  • Escaped plants can establish beyond gardens and add to infestations in natural areas.

How it spreads

  • It has escaped from cultivation, and the plant is widely available in retail nurseries.
  • When ripe, seeds fall from the flowers and are scattered around the parent plant.
  • Avoid moving soil or plant material that could carry fine seed to new sites.

Control options

  • For small, isolated plants, hand-pull or dig them out, removing the root system and minimising soil disturbance.
  • Bag flowering or seed-bearing material for disposal so it is not spread during removal.
  • For larger plants or infestations, use an approved control method and, if using herbicide, only a product registered for the target plant and site; follow its label and local requirements.
  • Revisit treated sites to find and remove regrowth and seedlings, and report significant or out-of-range infestations to the relevant state biosecurity agency or local weed authority.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Clean soil and plant material from boots, tools, machinery and vehicles before leaving an infested site.
  • Do not move potentially contaminated soil or green waste to uninfested areas.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Declared weed. Property managers are required by law to control declared weeds, and their import and sale are prohibited.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources