General description

Shrub < 2 m tall. Leaves are pinnate. Flowers are yellow and borne in December – June. Seed pods are < 10 cm long and borne in December – August.

What you need to know

To help protect our environment:

You must not breed, distribute, release or sell buttercup bush within the Auckland region.
You must not plant buttercup bush within the Auckland region, unless you are transferring an existing plant on your land to another location within the boundaries of the same property.
You must destroy any buttercup bush on land that you occupy if it has been planted in breach of the above rules and you are directed to do so by an authorised person.

Habitats

Disturbed sites, forest canopy gaps, scrub, riparian and forest margins, plantations, roadsides, gardens.

Dispersal

Seeds dispersed by wind, gravity, water. Human-mediated dispersal through dumping of garden waste, movement of contaminated soil, deliberate plantings.

Impact on environment

Dominates open, disturbed sites such as riparian margins, forest edges and scrub and excludes native vegetation.

Follow up treated areas 3 times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after 2-3 treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Recommended approaches

Physical control

Method: Dig out

Plant parts requiring disposal: Seeds

Disposal options: Remove to greenwaste or landfill if practical

Biocontrol

Biocontrol is currently not available for this species.

Community agrichemical control recommendations

No qualifications
Cut stump and paste freshly cut base of stems with metsulfuron gel

Basic Growsafe certified
Cut stump and spray freshly cut base with 2g metsulfuron-methyl per 1 L of water

Certified Handler/Experienced agrichemical user
Foliar spray with 5g metsulfuron-methyl per 10L of water and 20ml penetrant

CAUTION: When using any herbicide or pesticide please read the label thoroughly to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.

Similar species

Senna multiglandulosa

Downy senna is a taller shrub, has more leaflet pairs (4-8) and the leaves and the branchlets are densely hairy.

Search tags

RPMP status

Whole region (Sustained Control)
Hauraki Gulf Controlled Area Notice pest

Buttercup Bush

Senna septemtrionalis