Appendix one: Invasive weeds
The following invasive weeds are reproduced from a list compiled by Hugh Wilson for Banks Peninsula. He has grouped them into three categories of seriousness – A) very serious and should be removed, B) moderately serious and should be removed if possible, and C) potentially troublesome and should not be spread around – remove small infestations. Several other invasive weeds in the South Island and southern North Island have been added and classified as above. Regional councils in more northern areas should be contacted for information about weeds in their regions. Auckland Regional Council (web site:
www.arc.govt.nz, phone 0800 80 60 40), and Environment Waikato (web site:
www.ew.govt.nz, phone 0800 800 401) both have numerous weed pamphlets and fact sheets that would be applicable to much of the North Island.
The ecosystems threatened by each weed are indicated by F (forest and shrubland), G (grassland, cliffs and riverbed, which may include a shrub component), C (coastal dunes or banks), and W (wetlands and riverbanks). Note: some shade-intolerant woody weeds may act as nurseries for native regeneration or later planting e.g. gorse, broom, flowering currant, elderberry, Montpellier broom, tagasaste, and crack willow.
A category |
Botanical name |
Common name |
Ecosystem threatened |
| Acer pseudoplatanus |
sycamore |
F |
| Asparagus asparagoides |
smilax |
F |
| Berberis darwinii |
South American barberry |
F, C |
| Bidens frondosa |
beggar's tick |
W |
| Clematis vitalba |
old man's beard |
F |
| Galeobdolon luteum |
aluminium plant |
F |
| Hakea spp. |
hakeas |
G |
| Hedychium gardnerianum |
yellow ginger |
F, W? |
| Iris pseudacorus |
yellow flag iris |
W |
| Lonicera japonica |
Japanese honeysuckle |
F |
| Lythrum salicaria |
purple loosestrife |
W |
| Passiflora mollissima |
banana passionfruit |
F |
| Passiflora pinnatistipula |
passionfruit |
F |
| Phalaris arundinacea |
reed canary grass |
W |
| Salix cinera |
grey willow |
W |
| Selaginella kraussiana |
creeping spikemoss |
F |
| Spartina anglica |
cord grass |
W (saline) |
| Tradescantia fluminensis |
wandering willie |
F |
B Category |
Botanical name |
Common name |
Ecosystem threatened |
| Alnus spp. |
alders |
W,G(mountans) |
Athyrium
filix-femina |
female fern |
W,F |
| Berberis glaucocarpa |
barberry |
F,C |
| Betula pendula |
silver birch |
G,W |
| Carpobrotus spp. |
African iceplants |
C |
| Cotoneaster simonsii |
khasiaberry |
F,G |
| Dryopteris filix-mas |
male fern |
F |
| Egeria densa |
egeria |
W |
| Elodea canadensis |
Canadian pondweed |
W |
| Hedera helix |
ivy |
F |
| Ilex aquifolium |
holly |
F |
| Lupinus x polyphyllus |
Russell lupin |
G |
| Lycium ferocissimum |
boxthorn |
C,G |
| Nasella trichotoma |
nasella tussock |
G |
| Pandorea pandorana |
wonga wonga vine |
F |
| Pinus radiata |
Monterey pine |
G,C |
Polypodium
vulgare |
common polypody (fern) |
G(rock bluffs) |
| Prunus avium |
wild cherry |
F,G |
| Prunus cerasifera |
cherry plum |
F |
| Prunus laurocerasus |
cherry laurel |
F |
| Rubus fruticosus agg. |
blackberry |
F,W |
| Salix fragilis |
crack willow |
W |
| Senecio angulatus |
Cape ivy |
F |
Senecio
mikanoides |
German ivy |
F |
| Solanum mauritianum |
woolly nightshade |
G,F |
| Tropaeolum speciosum |
Chilean flame creeper |
F |
| Vinca major |
periwinkle |
F |
| Zantedeschia aethiopica |
arum lily |
W |
C Category |
Botanical name |
Common name |
Ecosystem threatened |
| Acaena agnipila |
Australian bidibidi |
G |
| Actinidia deliciosa |
kiwifruit |
F |
| Ammophila arenaria |
marram grass |
C |
| Arrhenatherum elatius |
tall oat grass |
G,W |
| Buddleia davidii |
buddleia |
G,C |
| Calluna vulgaris |
ling heather |
W,G |
| Carex flacca |
blue/carnation sedge |
W |
| Carex ovalis |
oval sedge |
W |
| Chamaecyparis lawsoniana |
Lawson cypress |
G? |
| Chrysanthemoides monilifera |
boneseed/saltbush |
C,G |
| Cortaderia jubata |
pampas grass |
G,C |
| Cortaderia selloana |
pampas grass |
G,C |
| Cotoneaster franchetii |
cotoneaster |
G,F |
| Cotoneaster glaucophyllus |
cotoneaster |
G,F |
| Cotoneaster horizontalis |
cotoneaster |
G,F |
Cotoneaster
lacteus |
cotoneaster |
G,F |
| Cotoneaster microphyllus |
cotoneaster |
G,F |
| Crataegus monogyna |
hawthorn |
G,F |
| Cupressus macrocarpa |
macrocarpa |
C |
| Cyperus eragrostis |
umbrella sedge |
W |
| Cytisus scoparius |
Scottish broom |
G |
| Erica lusitanica |
Spanish heath |
G |
| Erigeron karvinskianus |
Mexican daisy |
G |
| Euonymus europaeus |
spindleberry |
F |
| Festuca arundinacea |
tall fescue |
W,C,G |
| Fraxinus excelsior |
ash |
F |
| Glechoma hederacea |
ground ivy |
G,(rocky) |
| Gunnera manicata |
Brazilian rhubarb |
W |
| Gunneral tinctoria |
Chilean rhubarb |
W |
| Hieracium spp. |
hawkweeds |
G.H. lepidulum(F) |
| Holcus lanatus |
Yorkshire fog |
W,G |
Jasminum
officinale |
jasmine |
F |
| Larix decidua |
larch |
G |
Leycesteria
formosa |
Himalayan honeysuckle |
F |
| Ligustrum vulgare |
privet |
F |
| Lotus pedunculatus |
lotus |
W |
| Lupinus arboreus |
tree lupin |
C,G |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii |
Douglas fir |
F,G |
| Rhamnus alaternus |
evergreen buckthorn |
F,C |
| Ribes sanguineum |
flowering currant |
F |
| Sambucus nigra |
elderberry |
F |
| Sedum acre |
stonecrop |
G,C |
| Teline monspessulana |
Montpellier broom |
G,C |
| Ulex europaeus |
gorse |
G,W,C |