Bur daisy

Bur daisy is a perennial herb with small yellow flowers and tough, hooked burs. It displaces pasture species and is a serious contaminant of wool.

Description

• A small, stringy, many-branched perennial herb.
• Less than 40cm tall and under a metre in diameter.
• Leaves are thin, green and hairy.
• Flowers are small, spherical and yellow, forming tough, hooked brown spheres.
• Seeds dispersed by wind and attachment to animal pelts.
• Human-mediated dispersal through attachment to clothing and machinery.
• Habitats include open and disturbed habitats, exposed dry outcrops, rocky areas, grasslands, pastures, scrublands and woodlands.

What you need to know

Displaces desirable pasture species and is a serious contaminant of wool. May compete with similar native plants in dry rocky outcrops or open disturbed ecosystems.

Management approach

This is a declared pest managed under the Canterbury Regional Management Plan 2018 – 2038 (PDF file, 10.6MB) within the sustained control programme.

Sustained control

Pests in the sustained control programme vary greatly in their distribution across the region. Some are found in low numbers, while others are already well-established pests. The intention of the sustained control programme is to reduce the impact on values and spread of a pest onto neighbouring properties.

The community should make us aware of any bur daisy plants in Waitaha/Canterbury. We will work with affected landowners to undertake control of bur daisy.

Rules

Any species declared a pest cannot be sold or be in a place where plants are being sold. Pest plants cannot be propagated, bred, multiplied, communicated, released, caused to be released, or otherwise spread.

Control

Do not attempt to undertake control of bur daisy yourself. Report any sightings to us.