Environmental Weeds in Sydney North

• Noxious Weeds
• Other Significant Environmental Weeds
• Weed Alerts

Weed control

• Hand removal techniques
• Biocontrol

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Ochna

Botanical Name: Ochna serrulata
Noxious Weed Category:
CLASS 4 in most councils in Sydney North region


Flower detail


Leaf and fruit


Green Fruit

Ripe Fruit
Photos: Adam Burrowes

 

Description:
 Also known as Mickey Mouse Bush or Bird's Eye Bush. Originating from South Africa, Ochna is a angular hardy shrub to 2m high grown commonly as ornamental and garden hedge.

Ochna has light brown, slightly rough stems, and shiny, fine toothed leaves. New bronze leaf growth appears in Spring, at the same time as the flowers.

Brigth yellow flowers, flowering in spring.

Crown of the black berries surrounded by red sepals "petals" occurring in autumn.

Dispersal:
Birds, dumping of clippings.

Impact on Bushland:
Ochna has naturalised in bushland as the copious supply of seeds in suburban gardens is readily available to foraging birds.

Control:

Manual:

Removal is made difficult due to extended taproot. Even tiny seedlings resist hand pulling.
  Small pieces of root will reshoot, so all the roots must be dug out.
  Alternatively cut through the main stem and scour or scrape the bark below with cut with a sharp knife. Paint with an undiluted Glyphosate-based product.
Chemical: Please contact your local control authority for advice on chemical control.

Similar Species:

Suggested Alternatives:
Tea Trees (Leptospermum spp), Geebung (Persoonia spp)

References: