Bird Cherry Local Priority Weed

Under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015, all landholders have a “General Biosecurity Duty” to manage any “Biosecurity Risk” posed or likely to be posed by Priority Weeds. These weeds can impact on human health, the economy, the liveability of our City and the environment. Impacts can include allergies and other health issues, costs of control, loss of tourism value, degradati on of natural landscapes, parks and recreati on faciliti es, reducti on of useful agricultural land and loss of primary producti on, loss of biodiversity and water quality.

MANDATORY OUTCOME The plant should be fully and conti nuously suppressed and destroyed.

Scienti fi c name Prunus padus (Family: Rosaceae) Descripti on Habit: A deciduous tree 8 m to 16 m. Leaves: Leaves have fi ne-toothed edges and are someti mes hairy brown underneath. Flowers: Flowering spring to early summer. The fl ower hangs like a pendant and are small, white with fi ve petals, and heavily scented. Fruit: Fruit is like a small cherry.

Photo source: M. Rudge

Blue Mountains City Council - Bushland Operati ons Team |htt p://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/weeds| Phone: 4780 5000

Fact Sheet Fact WEEDS ARE EVERYBODY’S RESPONSIBILITY

zb3406loc-birdcherry_bmc.indd 1 3/09/2018 4:11 PM Bird Cherry Local Priority Weed

Dispersal Spread by birds that eat the fruit, and in dumped garden waste. Impacts Bird Cherry can form dense stands that crowd out nati ve plants. Current distributi on Upper Mountains (cold climate).

Control The plant needs to be poisoned because it suckers and will coppice (grow new shoots from cut stems). • Hand pull small seedlings. • Cut and paint or stem inject larger stems.

Note: Because the seed is bird spread, it is best to treat plants before they fruit.

Hand Removal Cut and Paint Stem Inject

Plant this instead Screening shrubs and small trees such as Hakea, Bott lebrush, Watt les and Tea Trees.

Control illustrati ons by Virginia Bear.

For more informati on on weed identi fi cati on, control methods, herbicide use and weed contractors see: Blue Mountains City Council - Bushland Operati ons Team | htt p://www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/weeds | Phone: 4780 5000

Fact Sheet Fact BLUE MOUNTAINS - NO PLACE FOR WEEDS

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