Bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata)

Bitou bush is a spreading woody shrub with yellow daisy-like flowers. It invades coastal dunes and prevents native plants from growing.

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How does this weed affect you?

Bitou bush is an environmental weed that:

• outcompetes native plants and can smother canopies up to 10 m
• is a threat to 55 threatened plant species and 15 endangered ecological communities
• reduces food and habitat for native animals
• reduces nesting sites for shorebirds
• can harbour feral animals
• blocks access to beaches and walking trails
• reduces the visual appeal of natural environments.

What does it look like?

Bitou bush is a woody shrub that grows 1–2 m tall and 2–6 m wide. It sometimes grows along the ground and develops a creeping habit under shade. It can also climb up over other plants up to 10 m.

Leaves are:

• bright green
• 3–8 cm long and 1.5–5 cm wide
• leathery, semi succulent
• broadly oval (spoon-shaped) and tapered at the base
• sometimes slightly toothed edges
• covered with cottony down when young
• alternate along the stem.

Flowers are:

• bright yellow
• like daisy flowers with 11–13 petals
• up to 20 mm in diameter
• clustered on the ends of branches.

Fruit are:

• green when young
• becoming purplish-black when ripe
• 6–8 mm long and 3 – 4 mm wide
• egg-shaped with just one seed.

Seeds are:

• egg-shaped
• 5–7 mm long
• ribbed
• fleshy on the outside with a hard shell inside which is dark brown to black when dry
• able to stay on the plant for up to a year.

Stems are:

• often purple
• woody and branched
• up to 20 cm in diameter
• often lie along the ground.

Roots are:

• shallow, without a large taproot
• extensive.

Similar looking plants

Bitou bush looks like boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. monilifera ) which:

• is usually taller and more upright
• has fewer petals (5-8 per flower)
• has rounder leaves
• has round, smooth seeds.

Bitou bush and boneseed can hybridise, resulting in plants that have a mixture of features from both subspecies.

Bitou also looks similar to some native species including:

• native boobialla (Myoporum insulare), which has tubular flowers with purple spots and purple fruit. Also, it does not have white hairs on the leaves when it is a seedling.
• sea box (Alyxia buxifolia), which has small white flowers and red berries.

Where is it found?

Bitou bush grows along much of the NSW coast. There are also some infestations around Wagga Wagga, and Menindee in the Mallee vegetation of western NSW.

Bitou bush is native to coastal regions of South Africa. The first record in Australia is near Newcastle around 1908. From 1946 to 1968 bitou bush was planted deliberately along the NSW coast to help control erosion after sand mining.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Bitou bush grows on a wide range of soil types but prefers sandy or medium-textured soils with low fertility. It grows poorly in wet or swampy soils. It tolerates a wide range of conditions including:

• full sun and shade
• salty conditions
• strong winds and sand blasting
• drought.

It thrives on the coast in coastal dunes, forests, woodlands, grasslands, the edges of estuaries and coastal lagoons. Plants are less tolerant to frosts than boneseed. Their ideal temperature range is 17°C to 27° C

Maps and records

• Recorded presence of Bitou bush during property inspections (Map: Biosecurity Information System - Weeds, 2017-2026)
  These records are made by authorised officers during property inspections under the Biosecurity Act 2015. Officers record the presence of priority weeds in their council area and provide this to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Records reflect the presence of the weed on the date of inspection.
  
  

How does it spread?

Bitou was originally spread by intentional plantings to stabilise dunes after sand mining.

By seed

Mature plants can produce up to 48,000 seeds/ year. There can be 2,000 to 5,000 seeds/ m2 in the soil near mature plants. In northern NSW, plants as young as six months can produce seeds. On the south coast they often take over a year to mature and produce seeds.

Fire, soil disturbance, and ingestion of seeds by birds and mammals promotes germination. Seeds also appear to germinate better after weathering and leaching in the soil. Only 2–30% of seeds germinate. Seed viability drops further after 2–4 years.

Birds and animals eat the fleshy fruit and spread the seed. Water, wind, and soil stuck to boots or vehicles can also spread the seed. Many seeds fall directly to the ground under the parent plants.

By plant parts

The stems can form new plants if they are buried in soil or sand

References

Harvey, K.J., McConnachie, A.J. Sullivan, P. Holtkamp, R. and Officer, D. (2021). Biological control of weeds: a practitioner's guide for south east Australia. New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, Orange. 

Holtkamp, R. (ed.) (1993). Proceedings of a national workshop on Chrysanthemoides monilifera. Port Macquarie, NSW, 28-30 April 1993. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Department of Agriculture, and NSW Department of Conservation and Land Management, Port Macquarie.

Love, A. & Dyason, R. (eds.) (1984). Bitou bush and boneseed Proceedings of a conference on Chrysanthemoides monilifera. Port Macquarie, NSW, 8-9 August 1984. NSW NPWS, and NSW Department of Agriculture, Port Macquarie.

Parsons, W.T. & Cuthbertson, E.C. (2001). Noxious weeds in Australia 2nd Edn, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 13 August 2024 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Chrysanthemoides~monilifera+subsp.~rotundata

Weiss, P.W., Adair, R.J. and Edwards, P.B. (1998). Chrysanthemoides monilifera (L.) T.Norl., in Panetta, F.D., Groves, R.H. and Shepherd, R.C.H. (eds.) The biology of Australian weeds. Volume 2. R.G. and F.J Richardson, Melbourne, pp. 49-61.

Winkler, M..A, Cherry, H. & Downey, P.O. (eds) (2008). Bitou bush Management Manual: current management and control options for bitou bush (Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp. rotundata) in Australia. Department of Environment and Climate Change (NSW), Sydney.

More information

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Control

Successful weed control requires follow up after the initial efforts. This means looking for and killing regrowth or new seedlings. Using a combination of control methods is usually more successful.

To manage bitou bush:

• control isolated plants as soon as practical
• control seedlings and young plants regularly before they produce seeds to exhaust the soil seedbank
• leave dead plants in place to prevent movement of people and animals through the area, which can prevent the spread of bitou seeds and other weeds from establishing
• alternatively, mulch, trample or burn (if removal is necessary) then revegetate treated areas with desirable plant species
• check previously infested areas after fire, slashing and spraying, as some plants resprout
• use biological control agents.

Control recommendations vary depending on the size of the infestation, the location and vegetation type. Detailed control information is available in the Bitou Bush Management Manual (link above in more information).

Prevention

Try to keep uninfested areas clear of bitou bush by:

• restricting vehicle access to infested areas
• if vehicles are in infested areas they should be cleaned before leaving the site
• plant native plants to compete with bitou seedlings

Grazing

Goats eat bitou bush and cattle eat and trample bitou bush. Grazing is effective in limiting the spread on farms adjacent to heavily infested areas.

Physical removal

By hand

Hand pulling seedlings is easy in sandy soils. In heavy soils the plants may be dug out. Remove all of the roots.

By machine

Mature plants can be slashed, and the mulch left on site. Follow up by planting native species. Bitou will reshoot after slashing, but the regrowth is easy to treat with spot spraying.

Fire

An intense fire kills most mature bitou bush plants, but some plants will reshoot, so it is important that burnt out sites are inspected for regrowth and any regrowth treated or removed. More plants survive less intense fires.

Fire kills bitou bush seeds in the litter and topsoil. Seeds deeper in the soil profile are triggered to germinate. Fire can cause other problems including more soil erosion, traffic and access by humans and pest animals and weed invasion.

Biological control

Three biological control agents from South Africa have established in Australia:

• Bitou tip moth (Comostolopsis germana) attacks the growing tips. This species is widespread but suitable for redistribution to accelerate dispersal.
• Bitou seed fly (Mesoclanis polana) feeds on developing seeds. It is wide spread and does not need further redistribution.
• Bitou leaf-roller moth (Tortix sp.), is widespread but suitable for further redistribution.

Contact your local council weeds officer for advice on biological control agents for bitou bush.

Chemical control

Bitou can be sprayed any time of year but the peak flowering period in winter is the most effective time. Spraying is not as effective if plants are stressed by extreme weather conditions including very hot or cold conditions or if the leaves are coated in dust or sea spray.

Spot spraying

Spot spray actively growing plants. Cover all of the foliage.

Splatter gun

Use splatter-guns on very dense infestation of weeds that are difficult to reach. Splatter guns use small amounts of concentrated herbicide and spray large droplets that limit spray drift. Which means they limit damage to nearby native plants,

Aerial spraying

Large infestations can be sprayed from aircraft.

Cut stump method

Cut trunks or stems and apply herbicide to the stump within 15 seconds of cutting.

Stem injection

Drill or make cuts into the sapwood and fill with herbicide within 15 seconds of making the cuts.

 

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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PERMIT 12251 Expires 31/03/2026
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 2 L /ha
Comments: Aerial boom spray applications. Refer to the critical use comments in the permit.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 12251 Expires 31/03/2026
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 20–30 g /ha
Comments: Aerial boom spray applications. Refer to the critical use comments in the permit.
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

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2,4-D 300 g/L + Picloram 75 g/L (Tordon® 75-D)
Rate: 650 mL per 100 L of water
Comments: Spray to wet all foliage thoroughly. Treat at flowering to fruiting stage.
Withholding period: Do not graze or cut crops (except sugar cane 8 weeks) or pastures for stock food for 7 days after application.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 5 or 10 mL per 1 L of water
Comments: Spray actively growing plants at peak flowering during winter with a handgun or knapsack. Wet all foliage. Do not apply during droughts. Use the higher rate for plants over 1.5 m.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 1 part per 29 parts water or 1 part per 19 parts water
Comments: Gas gun / Splatter gun application. Use the higher rate on bushes over 1.5 m
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Metsulfuron-methyl 300 g/kg + Aminopyralid 375 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 20 g per 100 L of water plus always add a wetter 100 mL/100L (Titan Wetter 1000 or BS1000 or equivalent).
Comments: Spray to thoroughly wet all foliage, but not run-off.
Withholding period: Pastures - Grazing for meat production or cutting for animal feed: Do not graze for 56 days after application. See label for further details
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors) + 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: High/Moderate

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Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 1 g of herbicide per 1 L of water + 2 mL organosilicone penetrant per 1 L of water
Comments: Gas gun / Splatter gun application. Apply as close as possible to the flowering stage.
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

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Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 g per 100 L of water plus non-ionic surfactant 100 mL per 100 L of spray volume
Comments: Spray to the point of run-off. Ensure all of the plant is covered.
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

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Metsulfuron-methyl 75 g/kg + Aminopyralid 93.7 g/kg (Di-Bak AM)
Rate: 1 capsule for every 10 cm of circumference
Comments: Only use on large stems. Capsule herbicide: See critical comments on the label for details on how to apply and seal the capsule into the sapwood of the tree trunk.
Withholding period: Nil
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors) + 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: High/Moderate

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Picloram 44.7 g/L + Aminopyralid 4.47 g/L (Vigilant II ®)
Rate: Undiluted
Comments: Cut the stem close to the ground (10 cm or less). 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

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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.
All of NSW	Prohibition on certain dealings Must not be imported into the state, sold, bartered, exchanged or offered for sale.
All of NSW The Bitou Bush Biosecurity Zone is established for all land within the State except land within 10 kilometres of the mean high water mark of the Pacific Ocean between Cape Byron in the north and Point Perpendicular in the south.	Biosecurity Zone Within the Biosecurity Zone this weed must be eradicated where practicable, or as much of the weed destroyed as practicable, and any remaining weed suppressed. The local control authority must be notified of any new infestations of this weed within the Biosecurity Zone
Hunter A Bitou Bush Biosecurity Zone is established for all land within the Hunter Local Land Services Region except land within 10 kilometres of the mean high water mark of the Pacific Ocean, which includes parts of: Lake Macquarie Local Government Area, MidCoast Local Government Area, Newcastle Local Government Area, Port Stephens Local Government Area.	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Entire Hunter Local Land Services region: A person must not, import into the State or sell. Within the biosecurity zone: If the weed is part of a new infestation of the weed on the land, notify the local control authority for the land as soon as practicable. Eradicate the weed or, if that is not practicable, destroy as much of the weed as is practicable and suppress the spread of any remaining weed. Outside the biosecurity zone: Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
North Coast Biosecurity Zone, which includes: Lord Howe Island, The entire Kyogle Shire, Lismore City and Tweed Shire LGAs. Byron Shire LGA (all land north of Cape Byron and all land outside of 10 km from the Pacific Ocean). All land outside of 10km from the Pacific Ocean in the following LGAs: Ballina Shire, Bellingen Shire, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey Shire, Nambucca Shire, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond Valley. The core infestation includes all land outside the biosecurity zone.	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Containment) Entire North Coast Local Land Services region: A person must not, import into the State or sell. Within the Bitou Bush Biosecurity Zone: If the weed is part of a new infestation of the weed on the land, notify the local control authority for the land as soon as practicable. Eradicate the weed or, if that is not practicable, destroy as much of the weed as is practicable and suppress the spread of any remaining weed. The core infestation: Land managers should mitigate spread of the plant from their land. Land managers should reduce the impact of the plant on assets of high economic, environmental and/or social value.
	*To see the Regional Strategic Weeds Management Plans containing demonstrated outcomes that fulfil the general biosecurity duty for this weed click here

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Reviewed 2025