Capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) can be a troublesome weed in pastures, crops and gardens in Tasmania. The woolly covering on capeweed seeds stores water, and under certain weather conditions can give cape weed a ‘head start’ in spring, resulting in the alarming vistas of yellow blooms that can be seen in some parts of Tasmania.
Don’t despair! Capeweed does not compete well with established vegetation, and it requires bare soil to germinate. The best way to prevent a capeweed infestation (and infestations of other annual weeds) is to maintain healthy vegetation cover in your pasture, lawn or garden.
Existing infestations can be controlled by manually removing, spraying or ploughing plants, then replacing them with the species you want. Sowing or planting after controlling annual weeds is important, as leaving the soil bare will only lead to re-infestation!
Have you seen it?
- Seedlings appear in autumn and grow into a rosette of leaves close to the ground
- The underside of capeweed leaves are near-white and covered by a thick mat of short hairs
- Yellow, daisy-like flowers with dark centres appear in late spring and early summer Capeweed dies off in the hotter summer months, leaving bare ground primed for weed invasion!
You can help keep this weed under control.
For advice on how to manage this weed:
Weed Management Officer
(03) 6264 9439
nrm@huonvalley.tas.gov.au
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Find out more about Weeds in the Huon Valley