Cassia is a tall sprawling shrub with bright yellow flowers. It invades bushland and outcompetes other plants.
Cassia is fast growing and it:
Cassia is a perennial spreading or sprawling shrub 2–4 m tall. If supported by other plants it can grow up to 5m. The stems are usually upright but lean over when laden with flowers or pods.
Leaflets are:
There is a small cone-shaped gland between the lowest pair of leaflets of each leaf.
Cassia looks like:
Cassia grows throughout eastern NSW. It is most common in coastal regions.
Cassia is native to Brazil and Paraguay.
Cassia prefers tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions. Cassia can grow in a wide range of soils including sandy and salty conditions. It grows in full sun and shade.
It is frost tolerant and the base of the plant can reshoot if the upper parts are damaged by frost. Plants can also reshoot after fire.
In NSW it grows:
Cassia plants start producing fruit after 2 - 3 years. Each plant can produce over a thousand seeds per year. The seeds can remain viable in the soil for over 5 years.
Seeds can spread by water, in contaminated soil and by people dumping garden waste.
2021 Edition: Plain language review Stephanie Alt: New content and editing by Wendy Gibney. Edited by Birgitte Verbeek.
Identic Pty Ltd. and Lucid Central (2016). Environmental Weeds of Australia Fact sheet: Senna pendula (Willd.) Irwin & Barneby var. glabrata (Vogel) Irwin & Barneby. Retrieved 12 May 2021 from: https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/senna_pendula_var._glabrata.htm
Muyt, A. (2001). Bush invaders of South-East Australia: a guide to the identification and control of environmental weeds found in South-East Australia. RG and FJ Richardson.
PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved. Retrieved 12 May 2020 from https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Senna~pendula~var.+glabrata
Randel, B. R. (1990). Revision of the Cassiinae in Australia. 1. Senna Miller Sect. Chamaefistula. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, 13, 1-16.
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.
Control plants before they flower and set seed.
Pull or dig out small plants when soil is damp or soft. Dig out the roots so the plants do not reshoot. Mulching can suppress new growth.
Spot spraying is effective on seedlings and plants less than 2 m tall in dense infestations.
Taller or individual plants amongst other desirable plants can be cut and herbicide applied to the cut stem. If herbicide is not applied the cut stems it will regrow. If plants have seed pods collect and dispose of the pods.
Dried seed pods can be burnt in a hot fire. Contact your local council for further advice on how to dispose of seed pods
See Using herbicides for more information.
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 1 part per 1.5 parts of water
Comments: Stem injection/cut stump application.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 200 mL glyphosate per 10 L water
Comments: Spot spray application.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Glyphosate 360 g/L
with Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 200 mL glyphosate plus 1.5 g metsulfuron-methyl per 10 L water
Comments: Spot spray application.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: M, Inhibitors of EPSP synthase
Resistance risk: Moderate
PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2025
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg
(Various products)
Rate: 1.0–2.0 g metsulfuron-methyl per 10 L water
Comments: Spot spray application.
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: B, Inhibitors of acetolactate synthase (ALS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High
Picloram 44.7 g/L + Aminopyralid 4.47 g/L
(Vigilant II ®)
Rate: Undiluted
Comments: Cut stump application. Apply a 3–5 mm layer of gel for stems less than 20 mm. Apply 5 mm layer on stems above 20 mm .
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: I, Disruptors of plant cell growth (synthetic auxins)
Resistance risk: Moderate
The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the 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 2021