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New Zealand hair sedge (Carex albula)

New Zealand hair sedge is grown as an ornamental in temperate parts of Australia and has become sparingly naturalised around Hobart, Tasmania. It matters because it can invade pastures, native grasslands and woodlands.

Key facts

Type: Weed, grass.

Native to: New Zealand.

Established in: TAS.

Other names: blond sedge, bronze sedge, frosted curls sedge, curly sedge.

Best time to act: Look for the strongly curled leaves year-round, and inspect plants in flower for easier identification; treat before seed is shed.

Identification

  • It is a perennial sedge that grows in tufts.
  • Look for narrow, fine leaves that curl strongly, giving the plant a curly or hairlike appearance.
  • The leaves are generally lime-green to pale or frosted-looking.
  • Flowering and fruiting structures help with identification, as several similar sedges are difficult to distinguish when not in flower.
  • Look-alike: It may be confused with the New Zealand sedges Carex buchananii, Carex flagellifera and Carex testacea, as well as some native species.
  • Look-alike: The strongly curled leaves can help distinguish it from similar sedges.

Where it grows

In Australia it is cultivated in temperate gardens and has been recorded naturalised around Hobart, where it has the potential to invade pastures, native grasslands and woodlands.

Why it matters

  • It is regarded as a potential environmental weed in Tasmania.
  • It has the capacity to invade pastures, native grasslands and woodlands.
  • In New Zealand, it is regarded as a significant weed of pastures.

How it spreads

  • It is planted as an ornamental in temperate regions of Australia, providing a pathway for establishment beyond gardens.
  • Seed-bearing plants may spread seed locally; avoid moving seed-bearing material, soil or garden waste from infested sites.

Control options

  • For small infestations, carefully dig out plants, removing the roots and collecting any seed-bearing material.
  • Dispose of removed plants and seed heads so they cannot establish elsewhere, and avoid dumping garden waste.
  • Where physical removal is not suitable, use only herbicides registered for the situation and follow the product label and local advice, taking care to protect non-target plants.
  • Revisit treated areas to check for regrowth and new seedlings; contact the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency for advice on reporting or local requirements.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Clean soil and plant material from boots, tools, machinery and vehicles before leaving an infested site.
  • Keep seed-bearing plant material and contaminated soil out of fodder, garden waste and materials moved to clean sites.
  • 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: Declared weed. Property managers are required by law to control declared weeds, and their import and sale are prohibited.
  • 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.

  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania

Sources