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Lion's tail (Leonotis nepetifolia)

Lion's Tail can form dense colonies that out-compete native vegetation, reduce biodiversity and hinder stock movement. Its prolific seed production lets it colonise disturbed sites, and it could become a serious weed in northern Australia and a problem in Queensland sugarcane.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Origin uncertain; variously regarded as tropical South American, South African or tropical African..

Established in: QLD, NSW, NT.

Other names: Lion's Ear.

Best time to act: In northern Australia, look for seedlings from October to December and treat plants while vegetative and before flowering, usually around March, or remove them before they set seed.

Identification

  • It is an upright, sparsely branched annual herb, sometimes a short-lived perennial, growing up to 3 m high.
  • Its somewhat thick stems are square in cross-section and covered with short, pale hairs.
  • The paired, toothed leaves are egg-shaped and usually 3–12 cm long, though they can reach 20 cm.
  • Near the ends of branches, usually 2–4 dense, spherical clusters contain many orange to orange-red tubular flowers.
  • The flowers are followed by hard, spiky balls containing brown, triangular, three-keeled nutlets.
  • Look-alike: Leonotis leonurus also has orange flower clusters, but its leaves are only up to 1.5 cm wide, compared with more than 2.5 cm wide in Lion's Tail, and its flowers can reach 6 cm long.
  • Look-alike: Hyptis species can grow in similar habitats, but have small lavender-blue to mauve flowers and a minty smell.

Where it grows

In Australia it occurs in disturbed sites in the Kimberley, the Top End of the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland, including the Rockhampton area, other central Queensland towns and Cape York.

Why it matters

  • Dense colonies can out-compete native vegetation, displace native plants and reduce biodiversity, including along riverbanks and floodplains.
  • Spiky flower heads make dense thickets difficult to penetrate and can hinder stock movement.
  • It colonises disturbed areas such as stockyards, overgrazed areas, roadsides and river levees, and could become a problem in Queensland sugarcane.
  • The sharp seed heads are uncomfortable to touch, and dense patches reduce access to areas.

How it spreads

  • Lion's Tail reproduces and spreads by seed, producing nutlets that can be moved by water.
  • Nutlets can travel in mud adhering to stock and other animals, machinery and vehicles, and may also be spread during road grading.

Control options

  • Remove small populations manually, preferably before they set seed, and burn the removed plants.
  • Check treated areas regularly and remove seedlings.
  • Where practicable, cultivate large colonies, completely burying all plants, then establish a crop or pasture.
  • Plants can be treated with registered herbicides while vegetative and before flowering; repeat treatment if new seedlings appear, and consult the APVMA for chemical information.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Nutlets can be carried in mud on machinery and vehicles, so remove mud before moving equipment between sites.
  • Be alert to nutlets in water and mud carried by stock and other animals.
  • 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: Permitted, not declared. Listed as a permitted organism in WA, so it can be brought in, but it is not a declared pest.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Declared weed. Weeds Australia lists it as a declared weed in the NT under the Weeds Management Act 2001. Check the NT declared weeds list for its class and what it requires.
  • 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
  • Northern Territory: Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 (NT), administered by NT Department of Lands, Planning and Environment

Sources