Onion weed (Asphodelus fistulosus)
Onion weed is a small plant with onion-like leaves and white or pale pink flowers. It is a weed of cereal crops and arid rangelands.
Profile
How does this weed affect you?
Onion weed is an agricultural weed in cereal crops arid rangelands. Onion weed produces abundant fertile seeds that can germinate most of the year, and this makes it difficult to control. It is a hardy weed, ignored by livestock.
What does it look like?
Onion weed is an annual or biennial, erect herb 20–80 cm tall.
Leaves are 3-55 cm long and 8 mm wide. They are cylindrical and hollow. Usually each plant has more than 40 leaves,
Flowers have 6 petals and are white or sometimes pale pink with red-brown central stripe. There are 1.5–2 cm in diameter.
Capsules are pale red-brown to sandy-brown and 4–6 mm long and wide. There are 1–2 seeds in each capsule.
Seeds are black or brown, triangular and 3–4 mm long.
Where is it found?
Onion weed has been found in all regions of NSW.
It is native from southern Europe to India.
It establishes in disturbed situations, favouring alkaline sandy soils.
How does it spread?
Onion weed seeds can be spread by water, via vehicles, machinery, animals and contaminated produce. Seeds can also be spread by wind if it blows the whole dried plants bearing seeds.
References
Parsons, W.T., & Cuthbertson, E. G. (2001). Noxious weeds of Australia. 2nd edition. CSIRO publishing.
PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 7 July 2026 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Asphodelus~fistulosus
More information
Control
By hand
If the infestation is small, plants can be dug out. Bag and dispose of any flowering plants to prevent seeds spreading.
Cultivation
In dry regions of NSW, cultivating in summer when the soil is very dry can kill the plants. Follow up with a second cultivation, then panting a cereal crop with lucerne can put compete onion weed.
Herbicide control
Spray actively growing plants, ensure all of the foliage is covered.
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 11916 Expires 30/09/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 50 mL per 10 L of water.
Comments: Spray evenly to cover all foliage. Retreatment is essential after flowering. For use in urban bushlands, forests and coastal reserves. See permit for critical use comments.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate
Aminocyclopyrachlor 240 g/L
(Method® 240 SL)
Rate: 200-500 mL per 100 L of water
Comments: Spot spray with a handgun, hand-held sprayer or backpack sprayer. Thoroughly and uniformly wet the foliage but avoid spraying to the point of run off.
Withholding period: Nil for domestic grazing. See label for livestock export conditions.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate
Amitrole 250 g/L + Ammonium thiocyanate 220 g/L
(Various products)
Rate: 1.1 L per 100 L of water
Comments: Active growth before flowering. Repeat treatments will be required.
Withholding period: Nil
Herbicide group: 34 (previously group Q), Inhibition of lycopene cyclase
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 2026
