What does it look like?
Evergreen buckthorn is a shrub or tree that can grow to 5m tall, but in exposed sites it may become a stunted shrub less than 1m tall. Young shoots are angular, hairy, usually purple, and the leaves are oval-shaped, slightly toothed, glossy and leathery. Flowers (May-November) are small, green, petal-less and fragrant, and are followed by glossy dark-red to black berries (5-7mm long) from December to January.
Why is it a problem?
Evergreen buckthorn is quick growing, long-lived, forms dense stands and produces many viable, long-lived and well dispersed seeds. It’s tolerant to salt, wind, poor soils, frost and heat, damage and grazing, and seedlings also tolerate deep shade. It grows quickly when a light gap appears. It forms dense stands and prevents the establishment of native plant seedlings. Acts as a low shrub on windswept rocky shores or understorey shrub in tall canopy. Most likely to invade coastal and other shrublands, cliffs, forest margins, inshore and offshore islands, and rocky lands.
Control methods
Physical control
Control female plants first to minimise seeding. Pull or dig small plants (all year round). Leave on site to rot down.
Herbicide control
- Cut down and paint stump (all year round) using triclopyr 600 EC (100ml/L) or triclopyr 120g/L (500ml/L) or a product containing 100g picloram+300g triclopyr/L (100ml/L) or glyphosate (250ml/L) or metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (10g/L + penetrant). Or,
- Cut and squirt (all year round): Make 1 cut every 50 mm around the trunk and apply 10ml triclopyr 600 EC (undiluted) or 10ml of a product containing 100g picloram+300g triclopyr/L (undiluted) to each cut. Or,
- Spray (during spring and summer) using ticlopyr 600 EC (20ml/10L + penetrant) or triclopyr 120g/L (10ml/L).
- Bared sites reinfested by seed bank. Stumps resprout. Remove all browsing pests. Follow up sites 6 monthly until eradicated before replanting.
- CAUTION: When using any herbicide or pesticide, PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.
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
FamilyRhamnaceae
TypePlants
GroupTree
HabitatLand
Management ProgrammeNational Pest Plant Accord (NPPA)Unwanted Organism
