Easter cassia

• Shrub up to about 5m tall.
• Stems often grow in a zigzag pattern, may be sparsely hairy.
• Leaves are pinnate, alternate, with 3–6 pairs of leaflets.
• Top side of leaf stalk has gland between lowermost leaflets.
• Flowers are bright yellow, 30mm across, in leafy clusters at tips of branches.
• Fruit occurs after flowering, with hundreds of slender seed pods up to 12cm long.
• Pods are green when young, brown when mature, each containing around 5–40 seeds.
• Seeds are black, irregular.

• Prefers bushland, disturbed areas and roadsides.

• Common in South East Queensland.

• Flowering occurs throughout year, but is most prevalent during autumn.

Environmental

• Invades disturbed or modified areas.
• Smothers native vegetation.

• Seeds can be dispersed in dumped garden waste.
• Also spread by water or in contaminated soil.

• Find out how farmers can prevent weed spread.
• Find out how gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts can prevent weed spread.

Physical control

• Hand-pull small individual plants, particularly in moist soil.
• Remove roots and consider applying mulch to discourage regrowth.
• Dig out larger plants with mattock or similar garden tool.
• Remove whole crown to achieve long-term control.
• However, this approach may be deemed too labour-intensive for more established individual plants or for larger infestations.

Herbicide control

• Herbicides are effective.

Read the Easter cassia fact sheet (PDF, 907KB) for herbicide control and application rates.

• Easter cassia is not a prohibited or restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014. However, by law, everyone has a general biosecurity obligation (GBO) to take reasonable and practical steps to minimise the risks associated with invasive plants under their control.
• Local governments must have a biosecurity plan that covers invasive plants and animals in their area. This plan may include actions to be taken on Easter cassia. Some of these actions may be required under local laws. Contact your local government for more information.