Bitter weed
Helenium amarum
Biosecurity Queensland must be contacted within 24 hours of sighting, call: 13 25 23.
family
Asteraceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Prohibited Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)
Not thought to be currently in Australia (at time of drafting QLD Biosecurity Act 2014) Must be reported immediately to Biosecurity Queensland Ph 13 23 25
Common names
Yellow sneeze weed, Sneezeweed, , Bitter sneezeweed, , Fine-leaved sneezeweed.
Native to south-eastern USA and Mexico, bitter weed is a compact annual with small yellow flowers. Bitter weed is poisonous to livestock and competes with pasture and native vegetation. In Queensland, it has been found at only 1 location, near Mount Tarampa in the Lockyer Valley., Bitter weed is a prohibited invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014
Impact
Impact
H. amarum is a troublesome plant within its native range in the United States. For example, in Texas some grazing paddocks become almost completely covered by this species. When ingested by dairy cattle, it imparts a bitter taste to their milk, rendering it undrinkable. It is also a livestock poison, causing weakness, diarrhoea and vomiting to animals that consume it, including sheep, cattle and horses. H. amarum was listed as one of the few species in Helenium that has caused mortality of sheep in Texas. Competes with native vegetation. For more information see he Queensland Government's Fact Sheet.
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
H. amarum is a troublesome plant within its native range in the United States. For example, in Texas some grazing paddocks become almost completely covered by this species. When ingested by dairy cattle, it imparts a bitter taste to their milk, rendering it undrinkable. It is also a livestock poison, causing weakness, diarrhoea and vomiting to animals that consume it, including sheep, cattle and horses. H. amarum was listed as one of the few species in Helenium that has caused mortality of sheep in Texas. Competes with native vegetation. For more information see he Queensland Government's Fact Sheet.
