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Berry heath (Erica baccans)

Erica baccans forms dense populations in bushland, where it can dominate the understorey and alter the composition and diversity of native plant communities. Its oily leaves are highly flammable, and the plant is declared a weed under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Introduced to Australia.

Established in: VIC, TAS, SA, WA.

Other names: Berry-flower heath.

Best time to act: Flowering plants can be found in late winter or early spring, and small plants can be hand-removed when the soil is moist.

Identification

  • It is a small shrub with tiny, needle-like leaves and can grow up to 2 metres tall.
  • A lignotuber at the base supports the shrub and allows it to resprout after fire or recover after slashing.
  • In late winter or early spring, it has globular pink flowers in groups of four.
  • Its leaves have a high oil content, and a mature shrub can produce millions of tiny seeds each year.

Where it grows

In the Hills and Fleurieu region it occurs at a number of locations in the central hills and in a few isolated infestations on the Fleurieu Peninsula, including in bushland and native vegetation.

Why it matters

  • It invades bushland, can dominate the understorey, and has the potential to alter native plant community composition and diversity.
  • Its highly flammable, oil-rich leaves increase bushfire fuel load.
  • It reduces habitat for wildlife and is unpalatable to stock.
  • It can be mistaken for a native plant and is attractive as a cut flower.

How it spreads

  • Plants begin producing seeds at 3 to 4 years old, and mature shrubs can produce millions of tiny seeds each year.
  • Seeds germinate in autumn or spring and are dispersed short distances from dry capsules by gravity, water, wind, slashing or soil movement.
  • Plants can resprout from the lignotuber after bushfire.

Control options

  • Small plants can be hand-removed with the root while the soil is moist, or snapped off below the soil.
  • Larger plants can be snapped below the lignotuber with a heavy mallet; a lateral blow just above the lignotuber can snap the plant below the soil.
  • Use registered herbicides carefully with approved methods such as cut and swab, foliar spray, or drill and fill, taking care to limit off-target damage.
  • Seek control advice from Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu; landowners must control the plant on their land in the Hills and Fleurieu region.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Avoid moving infested soil or slashing material between sites, as soil movement and slashing can disperse seeds.
  • 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: Declared plant. Depending on the declaration, it can be an offence to move it on public roads or sell it, and landowners may be required to control it on their land.
  • Western Australia: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • 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
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources