I’M A WEED

White Weeping Broom

White Weeping Broom

Retama raetam / R. monosperma

Spreading shrub to 3 m high and may reach 6 m across. Plants are grey-green with slender, drooping branches. The very small leaves, 0.5 cm long by 0.1 cm wide, are quickly dropped and plants remains leafless for most of the year. White pea-like flowers, 0.8-1 cm long appear close to the stems in clusters. The hairless grape-shaped seed pod (1-1.5 cm diameter) contains one or two kidney-shaped seeds, 0.6 mm long.

Threat / Problem
• Vigorous invader of well-drained soils where it can form a dense thicket that out-competes native plants. Drought tolerant. Fixes soil nitrogen, encouraging other exotic species.

Spread
• Reproduces from seed. Each plant can produce thousands of seeds that drop when pods split open and remain viable in the soil for several years. Seeds can also be spread by water.

Control
• Hand pull seedlings.
• Cut and swab larger plants when actively growing.
• Very difficult to control. Seek specialist advice for herbicide use.

White Weeping Broom

GROW ME INSTEAD

Coast Wallowa

Coast Wallowa

Acacia nematophylla

Bushy shrub to 2.5 m high. Phyllodes (modified stems that look like leaves) are grey-green, ascending, narrowly linear, straight to slightly curved, 2-4 cm. Globular yellow flowers are singular on short stalks. Pods are linear, curved, woody, to 11 cm long by 0.5 cm wide.

Flowers mainly over summer and occurs commonly on coastal dunes on southern Eyre and Yorke Peninsulas.

Coast Wallowa