Weed of the Week: Senna pendula var. glabrata (Easter Cassia)

With Easter almost upon us, you may have noticed bright yellow bursts of colour sprouting in and among native vegetation, especially along the highways and exit ramps.

And as pretty as this burst of colour is, unfortunately, it belongs to a weed shrub called Senna pendula var. glabrata or more commonly referred to as Easter Cassia due to it being mostly noticeable at this time of year. It’s classified as a Class R weed, meaning it’s important to reduce it’s populations and it is quite widespread in Australia due to it’s ability to easily reproduce which causes it to outcompete native species with it’s rapid growth.

If you’d still like a burst of yellow in the garden maybe go for a safer native Senna alternative such as:

• Senna occidentalis (coffee senna)
• Senna hirsute (hairy senna)
• Senna tora (Java bean)
• Senna septemtrionalis  (smooth senna)
• Senna planitiicola (arsenic bush)
• Senna barclayana (pepper-leaved senna)

In the meantime, be sure to check out all of Brooke’s other Weeds of the Week via the links and slideshow below:

Impatiens Spp. (Busy Lizzie, Balsam)	Ardisia crenata (Christmas Berry)	Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor Laurel)
Thunbergia plata(Black-eyed Susan)	Dolichandra ungues-cacti (Cats Claw Creeper)	Lantana camara (Lantana)
Bryophyllum delangoense (Mother of Millions)	Asparagus aethiopicus ‘Spengeri’ (Ground Asparagus Fern)	Asparagus aethiopicus (Climbing Asparagus Fern)
Sphagneticola trilobata (Singapore Daisy)	Salvina molesta (Salvinia)	Anredera cordifoli (Madeira Vine)
Araujia sericifera (Moth Vine)	Aristolochia elegans (Dutchman’s Pipe)	Ipomoea circa (Coastal Morning Glory)
Vigna luteola (Dalrymple Vigna)	Bacharis halimifolia (Groundsel Bush)	Solanum chrysotrichum (Giant Devil’s Fig)
Macroptilium atropurpureum (Siratro)	Passiflora suberosa (Corky Passionfruit Vine)