Environmental Weeds in Sydney North

• Noxious Weeds
• Other Significant Environmental Weeds
• Weed Alerts

Weed control

• Hand removal techniques
• Biocontrol

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Green Cestrum

Botanical Name: Cestrum parqui
Noxious Weed Category:
CLASS 3 in Sydney region


Photo: Adam Burrowes

 
Special Note: Highly poisonous to livestock, particularly cattle, and can be toxic to humans.

 

Description:
 Imported as an ornamental plant from South America, Green Cestrum is an upright straggly woody perennial shrub 2-3 metres tall with one or more brittle green stems. Found on hind-dunes, river banks and in urban areas.

Light green leaves are alternate and shiny green to 12cm long, giving off a foul rubbery smell when crushed.

Sprays of small tubular yellow-green flowers approximately 2.5cm long on end of stems, flowering from late spring to autumn.

Shiny black, egg-shaped berries in clusters.

Dispersal:
Green Cestrum is highly attractive to birds, and seedlings are often found growing under perching trees, along fencelines and on creekbanks. It is also dispersed by water.

Impact on Bushland:
Spread by birds, it invades gardens and bushland. It has a deep and persistent taproot.

Control:

Manual: Eradication is difficult as the plant suckers if the stems are cut without first poisoning the rootstock
  Scrape and paint stems with a neat glyphosate-based product.
Chemical: Please contact your local control authority for advice on chemical control.

Similar Species:
Cestrum aurantiacum is an orange coloured form, which is also a weed problem along the coast.

Suggested Alternatives:

References: