Papakura gives Woolly Nightshade the chop

It’s a pest plant also known as Tobacco Weed, Flannel Leaf or Kerosene Plant. It has broad leaves with soft felt-like leaves drab green/grey on top and white to creamy grey underneath, clusters of purple flowers and berries that can turn yellow when ripe. Flowers, leaves, berries and seeds are highly toxic to humans, particularly children. The leaf and tree sap will irritate and sting skin.

And in Papakura it’s for the chop.

Papakura is declaring war on Woolly Nightshade, removing it from public reserves and asking land owners to do their part.

Woolly nightshade has been classification as a pest plant by the Auckland Regional Council which means there is a legal requirement for all owners to remove all woolly nightshade within 20m of their boundary once a complaint is received.

Detailed information about how to permanently and safely remove this pest plant is available at www.papakura.govt.nz  

Removing Woolly Nightshade

When cutting use overalls and gloves, and a mask for larger plants.
Pull up small plants, root and all.
Chop larger plants at their base with a pruning saw. Chopping or hacking with a machete or axe can create dust fall.
Herbicide: spray at any time of year with roundup at 10ml/litre or paint the exposed cut stump of larger trees with Tordon Brush Killer at 100ml/litre or with triclopyr 100ml/litre or Vigilant gel.
Alternatives: paint completely round the trunk of a standing plant a collar of herbicide (using Vigilant) to a height of 70cm; ring bark a standing tree with a shallow cut and paint 1-2mls of neat Tordon BK into the cut.
Best spray times for triclopyr at 60ml/litre is between October and February.
Disposal - mulch and rot. Treat cut branches carefully to avoid dust fall.
Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after exposure or have a complete shower.