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Radiata pine (Pinus radiata)

Radiata pine is widely planted for timber and also grown in parks and gardens, but it has become naturalised across parts of Australia. It is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Victoria and South Australia, and an environmental weed in several other states and territories.

Key facts

Type: Weed, tree.

Native to: South-western USA, including Monterey County in California, and north-western Mexico..

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA, WA.

Other names: Monterey pine, insignis pine, wilding pine, insignis.

Best time to act: Look for seedlings after rain and treat them before they mature and produce cones or seed.

Identification

  • A large tree that can grow to 30 m tall, with dark brown, deeply ridged bark.
  • Its dark green, rigid, pointed, needle-like leaves are 7.5–15 cm long and usually grow in groups of three inside a persistent sheath.
  • Male cones are small and cylindrical, while the much larger female cones are egg-shaped and often lopsided.
  • Mature female cones are greyish brown, can remain unopened for years, and have glossy scales with a tiny prickle at the tip.
  • Look-alike: Other naturalised pines include slash pine, Caribbean pine, cluster pine and Aleppo pine; radiata pine is distinguished by its usually three-leaved groups and large, asymmetrical cones on short stalks.

Where it grows

In Australia it grows particularly near forestry plantations and is found along roadsides, in urban bushland, open woodlands, disturbed sites and waste areas.

Why it matters

  • It is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Victoria and South Australia, and as an environmental weed in New South Wales, the ACT, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia.
  • Naturalised trees can establish in bushland and open woodland, where they compete with native vegetation for space, light and resources.

How it spreads

  • Radiata pine reproduces by seed, which is mostly spread by wind and water.
  • Birds such as cockatoos can also disperse seeds, and seeds may be spread in dumped garden waste.

Control options

  • Hand-pull or dig out small seedlings and young plants, removing the root system where practical and safe.
  • For larger trees, use an appropriate cut-stump or other approved treatment method; use herbicides only when a suitable product is registered for the situation and follow its label and local requirements.
  • Arrange qualified operators for hazardous work on large trees, and avoid leaving cut material or cones where they could spread or create a safety risk.
  • Revisit treated sites and remove or treat regrowth and new seedlings; check with the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency about local requirements and reporting.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Clean vehicles, machinery, boots and equipment before leaving infested sites, removing attached cones, seeds and contaminated soil.
  • Dispose of cones and other plant material appropriately, and do not move potentially seed-bearing garden waste to uninfested areas.
  • 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: Declared pest. It is a declared pest throughout the ACT.

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
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources