NSW WeedWise

Creeping foxglove (Asystasia gangetica var. gangetica)

Also known as: , Ganges primrose, Philippine violet
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Creeping foxglove is an upright herb with purple (or occasionally white) flowers. It can compete with other ground cover plants.

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Biosecurity duty

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How does this weed affect you?

Creeping foxglove:

  • competes with crops
  • smothers ground dwelling plants reducing native vegetation
  • reduces habitat for native animals.

What does it look like?

Creeping foxglove is erect and shrub-like up to 50 cm tall or 1 m if supported.

Leaves are:

  • oval, circular or lance-shaped with shallow lobes
  • up to 8 cm long 
  • flat or rounded at the base and pointed at the tips
  • on a petiole up to 3 cm long
  • in opposite pairs along the stems with each pair at right angles to the pair below

Flowers are:

  • bell shaped with 5 lobes that are roundish and spread outwards
  • purple, blue, mauve, pink, yellow or white, sometimes with a darker colour on the mid lower lobe
  • a paler colour than the lobes, or yellow on the inside of the flower
  • 3–4 cm long and up to 3 cm wide

The white or cream flowers with pale yellow throats, are sometimes known as Asystasia gangetica 'Alba. 

 Fruit are:

  • guitar-shaped capsules with a pointed beak
  • green when young and brown when mature
  • up to 4 cm long
  • split open when ripe, releasing 4 seeds.

Seeds are:

  • flattened
  • up to 5 mm
  • cream, brown or black

Stems are:

  • square in cross section
  • sometimes slightly hairy.

Similar looking plants

Creeping foxglove looks similar to Chinese violet ( Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha) which:

  • grows along the ground rather than as an upright shrub
  • has smaller white flowers ( up to 2.5 cm long) with two lines of purple stripes on the lower lobe.
  • has pointed lobes that curve backwards.

Where is it found?

Naturalised plants have not been found in NSW. Creeping foxglove has naturalised in northern parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and in Queensland as far south as Hervey Bay. 

Creeping foxglove is native to India and Sri Lanka. 

What type of environment does it grow in?

Creeping foxglove grows in tropical and subtropical climates. Plants prefer moist soils and they grow in full sun and light shade. They grow:

  • amongst undisturbed native vegetation including under Casuarina and Acacia trees
  • in coastal and riparian areas
  • on disturbed sites.

How does it spread?

Creeping foxglove has been planted as a garden ornamental.

By seeds

Drying fruit capsules split open and expel the seeds one to two metres from the parent plant. Seed may be spread in contaminated soil, by wind, water and birds.

By plant parts

New plants can grow from stems which develop roots when in contact with moist soil. Stems can be spread by earth moving machinery, slashers and mowers and vehicles.

References

AVH (2025). The Australasian Virtual Herbarium, Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria, Retrieved 3 November 2025 from: https://avh.ala.org.au/occurrences/search?q=raw_taxon_name:%22Asystasia%20gangetica%20subsp.%20gangetica%22#tab_mapView

Identic Pty. Ltd and Lucid. (2016). Weeds of Australia factsheet: Asystasia gangetica (L.) T. Anderson subsp. gangetica. Retrieved 3 October 2025 from: https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/asystasia_gangetica.htm

Kiew, R., & Vollesen, K. (1997). Asystasia (Acanthaceae) in Malaysia. Kew Bulletin, 965-971.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 4 November 2025 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Asystasia~gangetica

Rojas-Sandoval, J. and Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. (2012). Asystasia gangetica (Chinese violet). CABI Compendium. Retrieved 4 November 2025 from: https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.7641

Sahid, I. B., & Shukor Juraimi, A. (1998). Effects of water stress, shading and clipping on growth and development of Asystasia gangetica. Plant Protection Quarterly, 13, 140-142.

Samedani, B., Juraimi, A. S., Anwar, M. P., Rafii, M. Y., Sheikh Awadz, S. H., & Anuar, A. R. (2013). Competitive interaction of Axonopus compressus and Asystasia gangetica under contrasting sunlight intensity. The Scientific World Journal, 2013.

Tanjung, L. R., Nurainas, N., & Zulaspita, W. (2023). Asystasia gangetica, beyond its Widespread Distribution Recorded in Two Indonesian Herbaria Since 1863: A Nuisance or A Blessing? Retrieved 4 November 2025 from Research Square https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3643277/v1

Westaway, J.O., Alford, L., Chandler, G. & Schmid. M. (2016). Asystasia gangetica subsp. micrantha, a new record of an exotic plant in the Northern Territory. Northern Territory Naturalist 27: 29-35

More information

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Control

Unsure if you have found creeping foxglove or Chinese violet? Contact your local council weeds officer to help with identification. Early detection and eradication will prevent creeping foxglove from spreading. 

Prevention

Do not plant creeping foxglove in gardens and do not dump garden waste.

Hand pulling 

Seedlings can be dug out. Remove all of the roots.

Disposal 

Contact your local council for advice on disposal. 

Chemical control 

Spray actively growing plants before viable seed is present on the plant. Make sure all of the foliage is covered. 

Herbicide options

WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
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 13678 Expires 30/09/2027
MCPA 150 g/L + Dicamba 25 g/L (Richgro Bindii & Clover Weedkiller)
Rate: 30 mL in 10 L water per 20 square metres
Comments: For use in home gardens. Spot spray application. Apply to actively growing weeds before viable seed is present on the plant. Do not allow children and pets to enter the treated areas until spray has dried. Do not mow 7 days before or after spraying. See permit for other critical use comments.
Withholding period: Do not graze or cut for stock food for 7 days after application.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 13678 Expires 30/09/2027
MCPA 340 g/L + Dicamba 80 g/L (Kamba® M)
Rate: 100 mL per 15 L of water per 150 square metres (1 L per 10 square metres)
Comments: For use on roadsides and turfed recreation areas. Spot spray application. Apply to actively growing weeds before seed set on the plants. See permit for other critical use comments.
Withholding period: Do not graze or cut 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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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.

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For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.

Reviewed 2025

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au