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Kei apple (Dovyalis afra)

Kei apple can form dense, spiny thickets that outcompete native plants and restrict movement. Its sharp thorns can injure people and animals, and infestations can provide harbour for foxes and rabbits and increase fire intensity in grasslands.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Southern Africa.

Established in: QLD, NSW, VIC, SA.

Other names: Dovyalis caffra.

Best time to act: Spray actively growing plants; flowers are present in late spring and early summer.

Identification

  • A dense shrub or small tree with a branched crown, usually growing up to 6 m tall.
  • Young branches have sharp spines up to 6 cm long; older branches may have cracked, flaky or corky bark.
  • Leaves are dark green, waxy and obviously veined on both surfaces, and measure 2–5 cm long by 1–3 cm wide.
  • Creamish-green flowers appear in late spring and early summer; male flowers grow in clusters of 5–10, while female flowers are solitary or in groups of up to 3.
  • Ripe fruit are yellow to orange-yellow, velvety, sweet-smelling and up to 4 cm in diameter, with 5–15 small seeds.

Where it grows

In NSW, most naturalised plants have been found in Greater Sydney, with a few in the North Coast, Hunter and South East; it grows in subtropical climates in varied well-drained soils, including saline soils, and has been found in bushland and around old houses.

Why it matters

  • It outcompetes native plants and can form dense thickets that limit movement of people and animals.
  • Long, sharp thorns can injure people and animals.
  • It provides harbour for pest animals such as foxes and rabbits.
  • When it invades grasslands, it can increase fire intensity.

How it spreads

  • Plants start producing fruit with seed at three years old, and each tree can produce thousands of seeds.
  • Birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds in their droppings.

Control options

  • Wear gloves, sturdy clothes, shoes and other personal protective equipment to avoid spine injuries; small plants can be hand pulled or dug out.
  • For larger plants, use cut stump or stem injection methods as described, or use basal barking or spot spraying on actively growing plants.
  • Use herbicides only in accordance with the product label and any permit, and dispose of cut plants after treating the stump, especially when fruit is present.
  • Notify the local control authority if Kei apple is found.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Dispose of cut plants after treating the stump, especially if fruit is present, rather than leaving fruit-bearing cut material at the site.
  • 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: Regional priority in 2 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in North Coast, 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: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • 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.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • 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