Mexican daisy

General description

Perennial herb < 40 cm tall. Stems are slender, sprawling, < 70 cm long and form dense groundcover mats. Flowers are white/pink/purple with yellow/brown central discs and are borne in September – May. Achenes bear fluffy pappus.

What you need to know

To help protect our environment:

• You must not breed, distribute, release or sell Mexican daisy. As Mexican daisy is a National Pest Plant Accord species, these restrictions apply within the Auckland region and across the whole of New Zealand.
• You must not plant Mexican daisy within the Auckland region, unless you are transferring an existing plant on your land to another location within the boundaries of the same property.
• You must destroy any Mexican daisy on land that you occupy if it has been planted in breach of the above rules and you are directed to do so by an authorised person.

Habitats

Cliffs, forest and riparian margins, shrubland, herbfields, gumlands, rocky outcrops, consolidated sand dunes, roadsides.

Dispersal

Seeds dispersed by wind.

Impact on environment

Forms dense mats, suppressing native short-stature plant growth and recruitment. May alter functional composition of ground invertebrate communities.

Control

Site Management

Follow up treated areas 3 times per year. Encourage natural regeneration of native plants or replant treated areas where possible after 2-3 treatments to establish dense ground cover and minimise reinvasion.

Recommended approaches

Physical control

Method: Dig out.

Plant parts requiring disposal: All parts.

Disposal options: Remove to greenwaste or landfill.

Biocontrol

Biocontrol is currently not available for this species.

Community agrichemical control recommendations

Basic Growsafe certified: Foliar spray with 125ml glyphosate green per 10L of water.

Certified Handler/Experienced agrichemical user: Foliar spray with 125ml glyphosate green per 10L of water and 20ml penetrant

For infestations amongst desirable species: Foliar spray with 50ml clopyralid per 10L of water and 20ml penetrant (not for use in home gardens).