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Pampas Grass
Botanical name: Cortaderia spp.
Noxious Weed Category: Class 3
Pampass Grass Regional Management Plan
Special note: Bushfire Hazard, especially in areas of dense vegetation. Leaves are highly flammable when dry. Sharp leaf edges containing silica.
Photo: Adam Burrowes
Description
Originating from South America, Pampas Grass is a large long-lived perennial tussock over 2m high with numerous flufffy seedheads (up to 3m high) with sharp, cutting bluish-green leaves 1-2m long. Common in open sunny places with damp soils and on disturbed sites.
Flower heads occur in summer, developing well above the foliage in two sex forms on separate plants..White, fluffy females and yellow, pale pink or pale mauve, almost hairless bisexuals
Each plume produces up to 100 000 seeds in late summer/autumn, and up to 50 plumes can occur per mature tussock. Seeds are 2mm long allowing travel of up to 40km on wind currents. Also dispersed along waterways.
Dispersal
The tiny seeds can travel 40km or more on wind currents, or float spreading down creeks and drainage lines. Also spread from fragments dumped. All parts of the tough root system are capable of growing a new plant.
Impact on bushland
Pampas Grass competes strongly with other plants, while its knife-edged leaves are a safety hazard on bush tracks and in home gardens.
Control
Manual:
- Bag seed heads.
- Small plants can be hand pulled.
- Slash back the sharp leaves of large tussocks before either grubbing out to remove all rhizomes, or using the cut and paint technique applying a neat Glyphosate-based product.
See Manual Weed Control Techniques.
Chemical: Please contact your local control authority for advice on chemical control.
Similar species
- Native sedges, Gahnia species. These always have very dark seed head.
- Saw Sedge - see the Look-a-likes booklet