About the Catchment Area

Pest Plants - African Feather Grass

Identification tips
African Feather Grass is a tall grass (up to 2m), which forms dense stands and excludes almost all other vegetation. Mildly resembling Pampas Grass, leaves are light green and strongly ribbed with a darker green underside.

The flowering stems (culms) grow from a crown and are cylindrical purplish-white in colour and up to 2m long with many fine hairs which break off if touched, causing skin irritations.

The flower heads are narrow, cylindrical and spike-like, 10 - 30 cm long and 1-2 cm in diameter. They are made up of many bristly seeds which give the flower head a feather-like look.

Where does it come from?
African Feather Grass comes from South Africa. It was originally introduced into the Adelaide Hills as an ornamental grass, the flower heads particularly being used for dried flower arrangements.

It has now spread down the catchment and is a very common weed along the main Onkaparinga channel down to Old Noarlunga. It is most commonly found in the higher areas of the catchment around Stirling, Aldgate and Mylor.

Why is it a problem?
African Feather Grass forms dense stands and excludes almost all other vegetation. It spreads rapidly by dispersing seed, with up to 80% of all seed being viable.

Seed is distributed by water flow or by attaching to animal's coats, human clothing, etc, and hitchhiking further afield. Rhizomes will also spread it, if they are broken and moved by cultivation machinery, road graders or other machinery.

Once it becomes established, patches increase in size by lateral growth of roots and rhizomes. It is unpalatable to stock and is starting to invade bushland areas. Populations of this plant should be eliminated where possible.

How to beat it
Hand pulling - Grub out isolated plants plus rhizomatous (root) growth, then destroy by burning

Chemical control - Spot-spray all plants annually using Glyphosate and a penetrant (eg, Pulse). Always adhere to chemical manufacturer’s recommendations for rates of application.