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Snakecotton (Froelichia floridana)

Snakecotton is an agricultural sleeper weed that can colonise disturbed sandy areas quickly and may affect grazing land, especially in drier parts of central Queensland and northern New South Wales. Its fruits spread readily, and plants can regrow from the crown or root fragments left in the soil.

Key facts

Type: Weed, herb.

Native to: Southern and central United States, including parts of the Midwest and southeast..

Established in: QLD.

Other names: Cottontails, Cottonweed, Field Cottonweed, Snakeweed.

Best time to act: Look for seedlings after late winter or early spring rains and treat actively growing plants before they set seed.

Identification

  • It is a densely hairy annual or short-lived perennial herb with a deep woody taproot.
  • Its erect stems reach up to 1 metre tall, sometimes 1.5 metres, and may be swollen and reddish at the leaf nodes.
  • Opposite leaves are 2 to 10 centimetres long and 1 to 4 centimetres wide, with silky hairs underneath and a rough, slightly hairy upper surface.
  • Erect flowering stems bear dense, cylindrical, white, woolly spikes; the mature flask-shaped fruits have wings, curled silky hairs and one seed.
  • Look-alike: Slender Snakecotton (Froelichia gracilis) is a similar North American species occasionally naturalised in the Central Coast region of New South Wales. It is smaller, reaching about 25 centimetres tall, and has narrower leaves and shorter flowering spikes.

Where it grows

In Queensland it occurs on deep sandy soils in disturbed places such as roadsides, degraded pastures and stockyards, particularly in semi-arid subtropical areas with summer rainfall.

Why it matters

  • It is one of 17 agricultural sleeper weeds identified as having potential for nationally significant impacts if it spreads.
  • Rapid seed production and the absence of dormancy other than temperature dependence can allow quick colonisation.
  • It has been identified as a potential financial risk to all forms of grazing land use, with dryland grazing and cropping areas in its potential climate range at risk.
  • Plants are unpalatable and have no feed value, although stock may eat them when little other feed is available; information on impacts to native ecosystems is limited.

How it spreads

  • Mature fruits detach from flowering stems and can attach to wool, fur, clothing, bags and other materials for long-distance transport.
  • Wind can disperse the fluffy fruits over short distances.
  • The plant also spreads as an impurity in pasture seed, which has probably caused most long-distance dispersal in Australia.

Control options

  • Snakecotton is susceptible to several herbicides, and spraying actively growing plants gives good control; use registered herbicides and consult the APVMA for chemical information.
  • Dig or pull single plants and small groups when the soil is moist, before seeds are set, and remove all root material.
  • Plants can regenerate from root fragments and regrow from the crown if stems are damaged, so check treated sites for regrowth.
  • Manage pastures wisely to avoid bare, overgrazed areas; no biological control agent is listed.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Check and clean clothing, bags and other gear after visiting an infestation because the fluffy fruits can attach to them.
  • Avoid moving pasture seed contaminated with Snakecotton fruits.
  • 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: 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)

Sources