What does it look like?
Australian sedge is a deep rooted, densely tufted sedge with harsh leaf edges that will cut fingers when pulled. Plants will form tussocks 30-90cm tall. Leaves are about 5mm wide and Y shaped in cross section.
Flowering stems are triangular in cross section. The seed head is a drooping panicle with green to pale brown triangular seeds hanging at the ends of long, thin, cotton-like filaments.
The plant normally flowers and seeds from October to February.
Preferred habitats are dry areas of disturbed land.
Why is it a problem?
It can form dense cover over farmland and is unpalatable to stock. It can invade scrub and forest margins suppressing native plants and seedlings, and excluding native grasses.
Control methods
Physical control
Dig or grub out (small patches only).
Herbicide control
- Weed wipe (spring-summer): Glyphosate (300ml/L). Or,
- Overall spray (spring-autumn): Glyphosate (150ml/10L).
- Manual control is best in summer, and all tiller bases must be removed to prevent regeneration. Grazing does not control this plant and it only spreads seed, so exclude stock from infested pasture and be aware of stock moving from infested areas if seeding plants are present. Recheck area each year for new seedlings and regrowth and spray as needed. Dense plant cover in both pasture and natural areas will suppress germination of seeds still in the soil. Spot spraying or aerial treatments can achieve excellent results.
- CAUTION: When using any herbicide or pesticide, PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.
More information
- Australian sedge is listed as a Progressive Containment pest under the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Regional Pest Management Plan 2018-2038.
- Australian sedge is only known to exist in the region north of Putorino, on limited numbers of farms.
Related links
Notify Council
If you think you've found this pest, please get in touch with our Biosecurity Team at biosecurity@hbrc.govt.nz or call us on 0800 108 838.
Management Programme
Progressive Containment Programme
To contain or reduce the geographic distribution of the subject, or an organism being spread by the subject, to an area over time.
Rules
Rule 5 - Australian sedge
Except wherean occupier of land has entered into a Written Management Agreement approved by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, an occupier of land shall destroy all [NAME] plants on their land.
