African love grass

General description

Perennial prostrate or erect grass < 1.5 m tall. Roots are fibrous and < 50 cm deep. Leaves are < 7 mm wide, rolled inwards and bright green to blue-green. Flowers are white and borne in < 20 x 30 cm loose panicles on arching stems in November-December. Seeds are blackish purple.

What you need to know

To help protect our environment:

• You must not breed, distribute, release or sell African love grass. As African love grass is a National Pest Plant Accord species, these restrictions apply within the Auckland region and across the whole of New Zealand.

Habitats

Scrub, grassland, coastal areas, cliffs, riparian margins, gravel beds, wasteland, roadsides.

Dispersal

Seeds dispersed by wind and water. Vegetative spread. Human-mediated dispersal through contamination of vehicles, livestock and clothing.

Impact on environment

May displace native vegetation and alter invertebrate communities. Low palatability to livestock and selective grazing may displace valuable pasture species.

Control

Site Management

Follow up treated areas 3 times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after 2-3 treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Recommended approaches

Physical control

Method: Dig out.

Plant parts requiring disposal: Seed heads if practical.

Disposal options: Landfill.

Biocontrol

Biocontrol is currently not available for this species.

Community agrichemical control recommendations

No qualifications:

For small infestations: Foliar spray with 10ml glyphosate green per 1L of water.

Basic Growsafe certified:

For medium to large infestations: Foliar spray with 100ml glyphosate green per 10L of water.

Certified Handler/Experienced agrichemical user:

For infestations amongst desirable broadleaf species: Foliar spray with 150ml haloxyfop-P-methyl per 10L of water.