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Holly-leaved senecio (Senecio glastifolius)

Introduced to Australia as an ornamental garden plant, holly-leaved senecio is established near Albany in Western Australia and has been recorded at Bundeena in Greater Sydney. It can form infestations that compete with native understorey and other low-growing plants.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: A narrow coastal strip of South Africa’s Eastern Cape.

Established in: NSW, WA.

Best time to act: Look for flowering plants from spring to early summer and check for seedlings after rain, fire or soil disturbance.

Identification

  • An erect, branched perennial herb, occasionally annual, growing 50–150 cm high.
  • Leaves are hairless, stalkless and wrapped around the stem, with irregular teeth and sometimes coarse prickly teeth near the base.
  • The upper leaves are smaller and less toothed than the lower leaves.
  • Daisy-like flowers have 12–22 pink or mauve petals around a yellow centre, reach up to 6 cm across and appear from spring to early summer.
  • Stems are usually upright, hairless and square in cross-section; older plants are often multi-branched.

Where it grows

In Australia it has been recorded in woodland at Bundeena and is established near Albany, growing in temperate areas including coastal dunes, heathland, shrubland, roadsides, pastures and recently burnt or disturbed sites.

Why it matters

  • It can outcompete native plants, including understorey vegetation and other low-growing species.
  • It can invade disturbed sites and agricultural land, as well as coastal dunes, heathland, shrubland and pastures.
  • Fire and soil disturbance can encourage its seeds to grow, and fire followed by good rain has promoted its spread in Western Australia.

How it spreads

  • Seeds can travel long distances on the wind, germinate in warm, wet conditions and remain viable in soil for a long time.
  • Machinery, including slashers, can spread seed.
  • Fallen branches can form roots and may be spread when people dump garden waste.

Control options

  • Pull or dig out plants, remove all plant material from the site and seek local council advice on disposal.
  • For herbicide treatment, use an appropriate method such as spot spraying actively growing plants, a splatter gun or a weed wiper, and follow the current product label and any permit conditions.
  • Check for and control new seedlings after rain, fire or soil disturbance.
  • If found in Greater Sydney or the South East, notify the local control authority; contact the local council weeds officer for identification and control advice.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Clean slashers and other machinery before moving between sites to reduce the risk of carrying seed.
  • Do not dump garden waste where fallen branches or other plant material could spread and form roots; remove plant material and dispose of it with local council advice.
  • 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): National Environmental Alert List. One of 28 weeds named on the National Environmental Alert List as early-stage invaders with serious potential to harm the environment.
  • 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: Regional priority in 2 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in Greater Sydney, South East. 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: 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: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • 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.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources