What does it look like?
This is a large aquatic perennial sedge that grows up to 3m tall from dense woody rhizomes buried in bottom sediments, usually in tidal reaches of large rivers and estuaries. Stems are bright green, rounded or triangular. Instead of leaves, it has thin, papery sheathing bracts at the base of the stem, which produce small groups of orange/brown flowers on drooping stalks near the tips of stems. Roots are dense, woody, creeping, underground stems.
Why is it a problem?
Californian bulrush forms dense stands of vegetation that colonise mobile sand deposits and river margins, displaces smaller native plants, and blocks watercourses and drains. Vegetative spread is from rhizomes and can be dispersed by wind, water, contaminated soil or feed, machinery, wildlife and people.
Control methods
Please contact us on 06 835 9200 for advice as this plant is difficult to control.
More information
You must not breed, distribute, release or sell Californian bulrush. As Californian bulrush is a National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) species, these restrictions apply within the Hawke’s Bay region and across the whole of New Zealand.
Related links
Management Programme
National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA)
The NPPA is designed to prevent the sale, distribution and propagation of a set list of pest plants (the Accord list) within New Zealand. If allowed to spread further, these pest plants could seriously damage the New Zealand economy and environment.
More informationUnwanted Organism
An unwanted organism is any organism that's capable of causing harm to natural or physical resources (like forests and waterways) or human health. A number of introduced pests in New Zealand are classed as unwanted.
Taxonomies
FamilyCyperaceae
TypePlants
GroupPerennial
HabitatFreshwater
Management ProgrammeNational Pest Plant Accord (NPPA)Unwanted Organism
