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Chinee apple (Ziziphus mauritiana)

A thorny tree that forms dense thickets in the dry tropics of Queensland, spreading out from old mining camps and homesteads.

Key facts

Type: Weed, tree.

Native to: Asia.

Established in: QLD, WA, NT.

Other names: Indian jujube.

Identification

  • Tree or shrub to 10 m with drooping, zigzag branches and paired thorns, one straight and one hooked.
  • Glossy dark green oval leaves with a pale, hairy underside and three main veins.
  • Small greenish flowers and round fruit that ripens from green to orange-brown.

Where it grows

Dry tropical woodland, creek banks, old townships and mining areas.

Why it matters

  • Thickets restrict access and reduce pasture.
  • Thorns injure people and stock.

How it spreads

  • Fruit eaten by birds, feral pigs, cattle and people.

Control options

  • Basal bark, cut stump or soil-applied registered herbicides.
  • Mechanical removal followed by regrowth control.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Collect fruit from vehicles and gear in infested 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: Restricted matter, category 3. Do not give it away, sell or release it into the environment. 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 (C3). C3 Management: landholders must manage it to reduce its impact and stop it spreading.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Declared weed, Class A. Class A: to be eradicated. All declared weeds are also Class C, so they must not be brought into the NT.
  • 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.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Northern Territory: Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 (NT), administered by NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment

Sources