Italian jasmine

General description

Evergreen shrub < 2.5 m tall. Leaves are pinnate and alternate. Flowers are yellow, tubular and borne year-round. Fruit is glossy, black and < 8 mm in diameter.

What you need to know

To help protect our environment:

• You must not breed, distribute, release or sell Italian jasmine. As Italian jasmine 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 Italian jasmine 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 Italian jasmine 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

Wasteland, rocky outcrops, exposed places, forest gaps, cliffs.

Dispersal

Seeds dispersed by birds. Vegetative spread from layering. Human-mediated dispersal through dumping of garden waste.

Impact on environment

Forms dense patches, excluding native vegetation and preventing native seedling recruitment.

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

No qualifications: Cut stump and paste freshly cut base of stems with metsulfuron gel. Remove stems to greenwaste or landfill.

Certified handler/experienced agrichemical user: Foliar spray with 5g metsulfuron-methyl per 10L of water and 20ml penetrant.