LantanaPoisons your stock, invades your land

Hunter Region Priority Weed

Management guide

ImpactsLantana is a widespread woody weed across the lower parts of the Hunter region.• All parts of Lantana are poisonous to animals and

humans if eaten. Lantana can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, weak muscles, breathing problems and death

• Touching lantana can irritate skin and eyes.

• Invades native grassland and pastures.

• Outcompetes understorey in native bushland.

• Can restrict access to bushland and waterways.

• Rapidly colonises disturbed areas.

• Provides fuel for bushfires.

• Land management costs are significant.

Livestock poisoning is common

• All types and parts of lantana are considered poisonous to stock. Red-flowered lantana is most dangerous.

• Early symptoms of lantana poisoning include: depression, loss of appetite, constipation and frequent urination;

• jaundice for 1 – 2 days

• inflamed eyes with a slight discharge

• mouth area becoming inflamed, moist, and very sensitive, with a pink nose.

• bare skin becomes very sensitive to light, red and swollen, or may crack and turn black.

• Stock usually die 1 – 4 weeks after symptoms appear. Death is slow and painful from liver and kidney failure. Some animals have heart damage.

• A Weed of National Significance*

Management • Maintain good pasture cover to suppress seedlings• Monitor new animals introduced into lantana areas

closely and be vigilant when there is no other feed.• Lantana may provide some shelter to native fauna.

Staged control and careful rehabilitation may be necessary to preserve habitat.

• Physical control at any time, ensure you can follow up for seedling or regrowth control.

• Herbicide can be effective. Growth stage will determine best timing for treatment.

• Active regrowth from dry or frost affected lantana is ideal for treatment with foliar spraying as access to the regrowth foliage is easier and the reduced plant surface area requires less herbicide..

• Pink flowered lantana is easier to control with herbicide. Red flowered varieties are harder to kill.

• Biological control agents are available. Lantana rust and several insects are having an impact.

In NSW, weeds are regulated by the NSW Biosecurity Act, 2015. All land managers have a General Biosecurity Duty to contain the spread of weeds.

“General Biosecurity Duty means that any person dealing with plant matter must take measures to prevent, minimise or eliminate the biosecurity risk (as far as is reasonably practicable).”

The Regional priority for Lantana is to protect assets from the weed’s impacts. In order to achieve this Land

Managers are asked to:

Mitigate the risk of new weeds being introduced to their land. Land managers should mitigate spread from their land. The plant should not be bought, sold, grown, carried or released into the environment.

For further information contact your local Biosecurity (Weeds) Officer via Hunter Regional Weeds or visit NSW WeedWise.

*These weeds are regarded as the worst weeds in Australia because of their invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts.

Lantana invades native grasslands and bushland Photo: P Sykes

Lantana can be difficult to control in steep gullies. Photo: M Edmonds

Identification

Pink lantana invading pasture. Photo: R. Holtkamp

Lantana fruit turns from green to dark purple as it ripens. Photo: H Rose

Both pink and red forms of Lantana are found in the region. Pink form above. Photo: P Sykes

Red form of Lantana. Photo: K Hignell

What to do if a person is poisoned

• If the patient is unconscious, unresponsive or having difficulty breathing dial 000.

• If the patient is conscious and responsive call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 or your doctor.

• If going to a hospital take a piece of the plant for identification.

The calendar below outlines the management approach for a typical year.

Management Calendar

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Growth stage

Germination at any time, with peak after summer rain

Look for flush of seedlings after summer rainPlants reshoot in spring after frost damage

over winter.

Flowers can be produced almost all year

Action

Spray actively growing, healthy plants between February to first

frost

Winter is best time to work on physical removal of mature plants

Splatter gun works best in summer

Spray seedlings any time

Cut stump or basal bark at any time

Recommended control options may vary according to your area. There are experienced professional Biosecurity (Weeds) Officers based in each Local Government Area who have local knowledge and can provide expert advice for your weed management situation. Contact your expert Biosecurity (Weeds) Officer at your local Council or at Hunter Regional Weeds.

Herbicide control options for all areas in NSW, including current herbicide registrations, are available for Lantana at NSW WeedWise.

Remember that all herbicide must be used and handled in accordance with the label or permit.

https://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Lantana

Further informationFor further information on how to meet your General Biosecurity Duty on your property, your best source is the expert Weeds Officer at your local Council or via Hunter Regional Weeds.

Contact Hunter Regional Weeds www.hunterregionalweeds.net.auHunter Local Land Services www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/hunterNSW Weed Wise www.weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au

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