Environmental Weeds in Sydney North

• Noxious Weeds
• Other Significant Environmental Weeds
• Weed Alerts

Weed control

• Hand removal techniques
• Biocontrol

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Salvinia

Botanical Name: Salvinia molesta
Noxious Weed Category:
CLASS 2 in Sydney region except CLASS 3 in Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly councils and Hawkesbury River County Council



Photo: Ku-ring-gai Council

 

Special Note: Salvinia has been declared a "Weed of National Significance"

Description:
 Originating from South America, Salvinia is a rapidly growing free floating, mat forming aquatic fern with trailing "roots". It is capable of totally covering still or slowly moving waterways.

Salvinia produces no seeds, it reproduces from broken pieces of stem, with infestations capable of doubling in size every 3-5 days.

The fronds or "leaves" are oval and flat in small isolated plants, or heart-shaped or oblong and deeply keeled when crowded.

Dispersal:
Reproduces vegetatively and is spread by dumping, animals, water movement, wind, boats and flooding.

Impact on Bushland:
Its presence significantly reduces waterway values. Salvinia drifts on the surface, forming dense mats which cut off llight and oxygen to pond dwellers below, eventually changing the pond ecosystem.

Control:

Manual: Small infestations are easy to harvest by hand.
Chemical: Please contact your local control authority for advice on chemical control.

Similar Species:

Suggested Alternatives:

References: