Seven Notorious Australian Weeds

While some Australian weeds are certainly more common than others, it’s important to spot them early to avoid a complete infestation in your lawn or garden. 

Imagine this: you’ve spent countless hours toiling in the garden, meticulously mowing your lawn, and doing everything that you possibly can to ensure that the plants you share your home with are comfortable and content, only to inadvertently guarantee Australian weeds the same luxuries. 

While some Australian weeds are commonly mistaken for normal plants and are propagated accordingly, many can still wreak havoc on a garden or lawn if left unchecked – so what are some of the more common ones to watch out for?

The Most Common Australian Weeds To Watch Out For

Just in Queensland alone, weeds cost us an estimated $600 million annually, and have significant impacts on primary industries, natural ecosystems, and human and animal health – without even mentioning the many inconveniences and general irritation that they cause the average Australian gardener.

To be proactive and identify the most notorious Australian weeds before they get a chance to get too comfortable, it’s important to stay vigilant. While there are hundreds of varieties out there to stand guard against, these are the most common. 

Chickweed – Originally used as a vegetable crop and ground cover for poultry consumption, today chickweed isn’t considered to be as noxious as many other weeds, and some gardeners even purposefully grow it for its edible and medicinal properties. However, chickweed in lawns is a different matter entirely thanks to its ability to grow at a furious speed in clusters.  

Winter Grass – The good news is that winter grass grows in clumps and has very shallow roots, which means it is possible to remove this weed by hand – but the bad news is that winter grass tends to produce an enormous amount of seeds, which means it can easily take over large swathes of lawn and become too big to tackle manually. 

Clover – As one of the most common Australian weeds, clover features an easily recognisable three green serrated leaf pattern, topped by white, ball-shaped flowers and creeping stems. Just like lucerne, beans or alfalfa, clover is actually a legume plant that draws nitrogen from the air in the atmosphere, and stores it in its root systems, but can quickly take over a lawn. 

Bindi Weed – Known for its tiny sharp-needled seeds, bindi weed appears with small feathery leaves that almost resemble parsley thanks to its exposed, upward-pointing rosette of seeds which can be found in a pod nestled at the branch junctions. When left unchecked, these ‘prickles’ can be a point of pain for both pets and humans alike. 

Capeweed – Infestations of capeweed have been found in pastures, crops, orchards, gardens, lawns, sports fields, footpaths, coastal environments, bare ground, grasslands and even open woodlands. Although it’s mostly found in semi-arid and sub-tropical regions of Australia, it’s also occasionally found growing in arid and tropical regions. In a nutshell – it doesn’t discriminate.

Onion Weed – Onion weed also develops small bulblets attached to the parent bulb, or the plant’s core, where its nutrients are stored to generate growth. What this means for gardeners though is that when they attempt to remove the weed by hand, the ‘parent’ plant releases those ‘baby’ bulbs found near its roots, causing the weed to multiply exponentially. 

Cats Ear – Officially known as Hypochaeris Radicata, cats ear is a perennial plant that is commonly mistaken for dandelions. While cats ear weeds produce an average of 2,300 seeds per plant, the true danger is that they can also produce as many as 6,000 seeds per rosette, and are particularly notorious when allowed to thrive in moist conditions.

While you might be accidentally growing common weeds such as the above varieties, others are far less desirable than others. The thing about weeds is that when you find one, there’s sure to be others. This is commonly why most people get overwhelmed by the task at hand, and allow the invaders to get comfortable in their garden – but what can you do to safely remove them without damaging your other plants?

Introducing A Safer Way To Spray

Bioweed is an organic, non selective weed killer that works fast on contact with the weed, in order to rapidly desiccate and burn even the most stubborn of plants. It can be used anywhere around the house including garden beds, veggie patches, paths and driveways, and is safe to use around children, animals and even native wildlife. 

The best part? Bioweed is the brainchild of well established agricultural leaders greenPRO, and is backed by over twenty years of research and development. Owned and manufactured in Australia, the primary ingredient of Bioweed is actually sustainably sourced pine oil, and is even approved by NASAA, ACO and APVMA for use around organic farms and food production. 

If you’re on the hunt for a nature friendly weed killer, or simply want to know more about eliminating weeds safely – check out other tips and tricks in our online advice forum, or contact us for any further queries.