Murraya (Murraya paniculata)
Murraya is a hardy small tree or shrub. A widely cultivated garden plant, spread by bird-dispersed seed.
Profile
How does this weed affect you?
Murraya is native to south east Asia and northern parts of the Northern Territory, far northern Queensland and northern Western Australia. Murraya is a cultivated plant and some of the hybrid Murraya cultivars are sterile.
The cultivar Murraya paniculata 'Exotica' is not native to Australia. This cultivar has become an environmental weed in parts of NSW.
What does it look like?
Murraya is a hardy, evergreen small tree or shrub up to 4 m high.
The leaves are made up of 3-9 glossy leaflets and smell like citrus when crushed. Leaflets of the native variety are 1.5-4.0 cm long. Leaflets of the introduced cultivar are often larger, up to 9 cm long and 6 cm wide.
Fragrant white flowers appear mainly from late winter to spring. The berries are up to 1 cm long and red when mature.
How does it spread?
Seeds are usually spread by birds and other animals that eat the brightly coloured fruit. Seeds can also spread by people dumping garden waste.
More information
Control
Herbicide options
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au
See Using herbicides for more information.
PERMIT 14249 Expires 31/03/2030
Picloram 100 g/L + Triclopyr 300 g/L + Aminopyralid 8 g/L
(Grazon® Extra)
Rate: 500 mL per 100 L of water
Comments: Spray plants up to 1.5 m tall from October to May. See permit for more critical use comments.
Withholding period: Where product is used to control woody weeds in pastures there is a restriction of 12 weeks for use of treated pastures for making hay and silage; using hay or other plant material for compost, mulch or mushroom substrate; or using animal waste from animals grazing on treated pastures for compost, mulching, or spreading on pasture/crops.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 14249 Expires 31/03/2030
Triclopyr 300 g/L + Picloram 100 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 500 mL per 100 L of water
Comments: Spray plants up to 1.5 m tall from October to May. See permit for more critical use comments.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 200 mL per 10 L of water
Comments: Foliar application for seedlings/ coppice shoots.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 1 part per 1.5 parts of water
Comments: Stem injection / cut stump application, saplings to large shrubs.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate
Picloram 44.7 g/L + Aminopyralid 4.47 g/L
(Vigilant II ®)
Rate: Undiluted
Comments: Cut the trunk close to the ground. Apply a 3–5 mm layer of gel onto stems less than 2 cm diameter. Apply 5 mm layer on stems above 2 cm diameter.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate
Biosecurity duty
The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.
| Area | Duty |
|---|---|
| All of NSW | General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable. |
Reviewed 2025
