Groundsel bush
Baccharis halimifolia
family
Asteraceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)
Must not be distributed or disposed. This means it must not be released into the environment unless the distribution or disposal is authorised in a regulation or under a permit.
Common names
Groundsel bush, Consumption weed, Groundsel, Groundsel tree, Sea Island myrtle, Tree groundsel, Waterbrush.
An upright bushy shrub (1-3 m tall) with much-branched stems that become woody with age. Its waxy leaves (2.5-7.0 cm long and 1-4 cm wide) have coarsely toothed margins. It produces separate male and female flower-heads on separate plants. The male flower-heads are cream to yellowish, while the female flower-heads are white and have a fluffy appearance its straw-coloured or brown seeds (about 3 mm long) and are topped with a silky tuft of long white hairs (up to 12 mm long).
Impact
Impact
Groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia) is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales. During a recent study it was listed as the second most important invasive plant species in south-eastern Queensland. It also rated highly in a survey of the most important environmental weeds of the New South Wales North Coast region. It is actively managed by community groups in Queensland and is also currently listed as a priority environmental weed in two Natural Resource Management regions.This species is of most concern in sub-tropical melaleuca wetlands, where it can form a dense understorey that suppresses the growth of native sedges and interferes with the natural ecosystem. It can also become abundant in native vegetation along watercourses and in coastal woodlands and forests. Conservation areas are also under threat from invasion by this species, and it has invaded several reserves in Queensland (e.g. Noosa National Park, Maroochy River Conservation Park and Pimpama River Conservation Area) and New South Wales (e.g. Ballina Nature Reserve, Wooyung Nature Reserve and Cullendulla National Park).
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia) is regarded as a significant environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales. During a recent study it was listed as the second most important invasive plant species in south-eastern Queensland. It also rated highly in a survey of the most important environmental weeds of the New South Wales North Coast region. It is actively managed by community groups in Queensland and is also currently listed as a priority environmental weed in two Natural Resource Management regions.This species is of most concern in sub-tropical melaleuca wetlands, where it can form a dense understorey that suppresses the growth of native sedges and interferes with the natural ecosystem. It can also become abundant in native vegetation along watercourses and in coastal woodlands and forests. Conservation areas are also under threat from invasion by this species, and it has invaded several reserves in Queensland (e.g. Noosa National Park, Maroochy River Conservation Park and Pimpama River Conservation Area) and New South Wales (e.g. Ballina Nature Reserve, Wooyung Nature Reserve and Cullendulla National Park).
