PAMPAS GRASS

Cortaderia selloana

Description

A very tall, clumpy grass with fluffy flower heads. It can grow up to 6 m tall (including seed head), competes with native vegetation and is a fire hazard.

Leaves Bluish-green, finely serrated, upright and arched, with a pink midvein.

Seedhead Very large, white or silvery in colour, 25–100 cm long. Present from mid-March to late May.

Roots Up to 3.5 m deep.

Dispersal Seed dispersed by wind. Can spread short distances via underground stems (rhizomes). Is deliberately planted for ornamental purposes and sometimes traded for decorative flower arrangements.

Confused with Weed species New Zealand pampas grass (Cortaderia richardii). Native species Common reed (Phragmites australis) and Saw sedge (Gahnia spp.).

Control Contact your local Rous County Council Weed Biosecurity Officer for control advice and disposal. Manually remove where appropriate. Ensure all seed heads are removed from the site and bagged appropriately. Slash, hand remove and/or foliar spray regrowth.