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Mother-of-millions (Bryophyllum delagoense and B. × houghtonii)

A succulent garden escape that forms dense colonies in pasture and bushland. Every part of the plant is poisonous to stock, and tiny plantlets drop and grow wherever they land.

Key facts

Type: Weed, cactus and succulent.

Native to: Madagascar.

Established in: QLD, NSW, WA.

Best time to act: Locate and treat while flowering in winter.

Identification

  • Upright succulent to 1 m with greyish-brown, mottled, cylindrical or boat-shaped leaves.
  • Small plantlets along the leaf edges or tips.
  • Clusters of bell-shaped orange to red flowers in winter.

Where it grows

Shallow, rocky soils, pasture, roadsides and woodland, particularly in southern and central Queensland.

Why it matters

  • Poisonous to cattle, particularly when flowering.
  • Displaces native groundcover.

How it spreads

  • Plantlets moved by water, animals, machinery and dumped garden waste.

Control options

  • Hand pull small infestations and bag or burn plants.
  • Registered herbicides; flowering plants in winter are easiest to find.
  • Repeat for several years.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Bag all plants and plantlets; do not dump in green waste.
  • 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: Regional priority in 6 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in Central Tablelands, Hunter, Murray, North West, Riverina, Western. 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: 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
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources