A noxious weed may be either an agricultural or an environmental weed. They cause problems in bushland reserves and gardens by invading and taking over from indigenous (naturally occurring) plant species, or preventing their regeneration and denying indigenous wildlife access to indigenous food and shelter which can lead to local extinction of our birds and animals.
There are four categories of noxious weeds defined under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act) and, under the Whitehorse Community Local Law 2024 ( PDF 973.95KB) S3.4, "An owner or occupier of land must take all reasonable steps to control, reduce and remove noxious weeds on that land".
The noxious weed categories are as follows:
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Angled Onion/Three-Cornered Garlic - Allium triquetrum Characteristics: A herb with a 20-40cm tall triangular stem, with small, white bulbs emitting a strong onion scent. Produces white, bell-shaped flowers from winter to spring, with seeds forming in spring. Risk Rating: High Control Methods: Prevention, hand pulling and spot spraying Noxious Weed Category: State Restricted Noxious Weed
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Asparagus Fern - Asparagus scandens A deciduous climber with slender, occasionally spiny stems originating from an underground rhizome, often adorned with small tubers. Its shiny, broadly oval to rounded leaves are thin. It bears inconspicuous fragrant green/white flowers in late winter to spring, succeeded by red berries in early summer, and the plants wither in summer. Risk Rating: Very high Control Methods: Spot spray Noxious Weed Rating: State Restricted Noxious Weed |
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Blackberry - Rubus fruticosus spp.agg. An upright perennial that thrives in summer, producing canes up to 6m long. It becomes semi-deciduous in autumn and winter. Flowers bloom from December to January, ranging from pink to white. The serrated ovate leaflets feature prickles on both leaves and stems. Berries ripen from December to April, transitioning from green to red to black. While it serves as a significant refuge for pest animals, it also holds importance for certain native fauna, necessitating cautious, phased removal over several years. Risk Rating: High Risk Control Methods: Cut and paint, cut back & clear off and spot spraying Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed
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Boneseed (Bitou Bush) - Chrysanthemoides monilifera An upright perennial shrub reaching heights of 3m. Its dull green, paddle-shaped leaves have irregularly serrated edges and terminal tufts of cottony down. Bright yellow flowers appear from late winter to spring, followed by blackberries containing hard seeds in summer. Risk Rating: High Risk Control Methods: Hand pulling, cut & paint and drill & fill Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Bridal Veil Creeper, Simlax - Asparagus asparagoides A deciduous climber with slender, occasionally spiny stems originating from an underground rhizome, often adorned with small tubers. Its shiny, broadly oval to rounded leaves are thin. It bears inconspicuous fragrant green/white flowers in late winter to spring, succeeded by red berries in early summer, and the plants wither in summer. Risk Rating: High Risk Control Methods: Prevention, hand pulling and spot spraying. Herbicide treatment may require follow-up over several years. Noxious Weed Category: State Restricted Noxious Weed |
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Cape Broom, Montpellior Broom - Genista monspessulana Upright perennial shrub, reaching 2-3m in height, with hairy trifoliate leaves arranged alternately along branches and upper stems. Bears bright yellow pea flowers singly or in clusters during spring, followed by flat silky seed pods. Risk Rating: High Risk Control Methods: Hand pulling, cut & paint and drill & fill Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Chilean Needle - Nassella neesiana A perennial grass forming tussocks, with flowering stems reaching 1m and bearing purple flowers. Its seeds feature a unique collar at the base of the awn, distinguishing it from native Spear Grasses. It outcompetes and displaces native grasses and other ground flora. Risk Rating: Very High Risk Control Methods: Prevention, hand pulling, lawn mowing, cut back & clear off and spot spraying Noxious Weed Category: State Restricted Noxious Weed |
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Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare An upright biennial or occasionally annual herb, reaching heights of up to 2.5m, boasting a robust, branched taproot. Known for its potent aniseed fragrance, fennel plants are typically smooth-skinned without hairs. Its leaves, alternately arranged and measuring 30-50cm long, appear feathery due to numerous thread-like segments. The flowering head consists of smaller umbrella-like clusters of yellow petals, each approximately 1mm long, originating from a central point on the flower stalks. Risk Rating: Very High Risk Control Methods: Cut back & clear off, hand pulling, spot spraying and cut & paint Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Restricted Noxious Weed |
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Flax-leaved Broom - Genista linifolia Erect woody shrub with light green leaves, smooth on top and silky white underneath. Leaflets are small, narrow trifoliate, grey-green, and densely packed near the tips. Bright yellow flowers form clusters exclusively at the ends of branches. Pods contain two to three seeds and are flattened and silky. Risk Rating: Very High Risk Control Methods: Hand pulling, cut & paint, cut back & clear off, spot spraying and prevention Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Gorse, Furze - Ulex europaeus Compact thorny shrub, reaching 3-4m in height and width. Older branches are rough and brown, while newer growth is green and extensively branched. Leaves are spiky. Bright yellow pea flowers form terminal clusters from July to January. Serves as a significant habitat for pest animals. Risk Rating: High Risk Control Methods: Hand pulling, cut & paint, drill & fill, cut back & clear off and spot spraying Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Hawthorn - Crataegus monogyna An upright, deciduous shrub that can grow up to 7m tall, resembling a tree. It has thorny branches and small, deeply lobed, and serrated bright green leaves. Produces white or occasionally pink flowers in spring, followed by red berries in autumn. Risk Rating: High Risk Control Methods: Hand pulling, cut & paint and spot spraying Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Paterson's Curse/Salvation Jane - Echium plantagineum A tall biennial herb, reaching up to 1m in height, emerging from a basal rosette of ovate leaves with noticeable lateral veins. The leaves become lanceolate along upright stems. Its bluish-purple tubular flowers feature protruding stamens. It thrives in areas with disturbed soil or overgrazing. Risk Rating: High Risk Control Methods: Hand pulling, spot spraying and prevention Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Serrated Tussock - Nassella trichotoma A compact tussock reaching 50cm, featuring leaves with distinctive serrations that can be felt by running fingers down their edges. Leaves are green in summer, turning yellow-green in winter, with new growth initially upright but bending as it matures. The base of the leaves is white, and it produces plentiful purplish open seed heads in summer. Risk Rating: Very High Risk Control Methods: Prevention, hand pulling, cut back & clear off, spot spraying and lawn mowing Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Spear Thistle/Black Thistle - Cirsium vulgare A deep-rooted biennial herb reaching up to 1.5m tall. Seedlings sprout in autumn and spring, forming rosettes. Its leaves are dark green above, paler below, coarse, deeply lobed, and prickly. One to several stems emerge, bearing purple flowers in summer, succeeded by fluffy white seed heads. Risk Rating: Moderately High Risk Control Methods: Prevention, hand pulling and spot spraying Noxious Weed Category: Regionally Controlled Noxious Weed |
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Watsonia - Watsonia meriana var bulbillifera A perennial plant featuring stiff, sword-shaped leaves with a prominent midrib, arranged in an ascending fan-like formation. Vertical slender stems reach up to 2m in height, bearing small sheath-like leaves. It produces orange to red flowers in late winter to spring and reproduces via corms and bulbils on the stem. Risk Rating: Very High Risk Control Methods: Prevention, hand pulling, cut back & clear off and spot spraying Noxious Weed Category: Regional Controlled Noxious Weed |
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All land owners have obligations under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (CaLP Act) to take action to eliminate or control declared noxious weeds. The Whitehorse Community Local Law 2024 ( PDF 973.95KB) also states that a land owner or tenant of Whitehorse properties must take all reasonable steps to control, reduce and remove noxious weeds on that land.
To help you identify if you have a declared noxious weed on your property, below is a list of the most common noxious weeds that are known to occur in the City of Whitehorse. For a full list of Victoria's declared noxious weeds and pest animals, visit the Victorian Department of Agriculture website.