African fountain grass

• Erect, densely tufted perennial grass up to about 1m tall.
• Leaves are coarse, linear, convolute, folded or flat, about 8-30cm long.
• Seed heads are distinctive feathery, pinkish.

• Prefers drier, hot, rocky and generally exposed sites such as ridgelines, mine spoil, and cliffs in arid, semi-arid and seasonally dry tropical and subtropical areas.

• Visit Weeds Australia and click on the distribution tab to access the distribution map.

• Can live up to 20 years.
• Seeds may survive 6 years in soil.
• Seeds germinate in late spring to early summer.
• Flowering occurs mainly throughout summer.

Environmental

• Out-competes native plants.
• Increases fire intensity due to high biomass.

Economic

• Competes with pastures used for grazing.

• Spread by wind, moving water, and seeds attached to fur, clothing, vehicles and machinery.
• Also spread by people moving plants.

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

Physical control

• Hand-pull seedlings and smaller plants, then compost them or bag and dispose of them at the local garbage dump.

Herbicide control

• Use herbicide, such as foliar spray, for larger infestations.

Read the African fountain grass fact sheet (PDF, 7.9MB) for herbicide control and application rates.

Biological control

• No known biological control agents.

• African fountain grass is a category 3 restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014.
• It must not be given away, sold, or released into the environment. Penalties may apply.
• You must take all reasonable and practical measures to minimise the biosecurity risks associated with dealing with African fountain grass under your control. This is called a general biosecurity obligation (GBO).
• At a local level, each local government agency must have a biosecurity plan that covers invasive plants in its area. This plan may include actions to be taken on African fountain grass. Some of these actions may be required under local laws. Contact your local council for more information.