The Department of Natural Resources is assisting landholders to eradicate the weed from their properties - before the onset of the wet season, which also coincides with the new growth of the plant. In addition to its ability to outcompete native grasses and commercial crops, it also poses a potential health problem as contact with the plant or the pollen can cause serious allergic reactions such as dermatitis, asthma and hay fever. Mr Matheson said the Department was concentrating its efforts on assisting landholders to eradicate isolated pockets of the weed from areas on the floodplains of the Bohle and Black Rivers. These areas included Kelso, Rasmussen and Jensen. Parthenium weed is an annual herb that can grow up to two metres.
Leaves are pale green, deeply lobed and covered with fine soft hairs.
Small creamy white flowers occur on the tips of the numerous stems. He urged landholders who suspected they had Parthenium on their properties to contact their local council or the Department of Natural Resources. He said proper identification was the first step in the process of eradicating the weed. What landholders should not do is spray the Parthenium with Round-Up or a similar glyphosate mixture. While this will kill the plant, it will also kill the grasses that surround it.