It’s often mistaken for native toetoe, but invasive lookalike pampas grass can out-compete native vegetation, pose a fire risk and provide habitat for rodents and possums.
How to spot pampas
Pampas has a few tell-tale features to help you be sure you’re controlling the right plant. Pampas flower heads are erect, dense, and purple, pink or white, depending on the species.
They bloom from late January until May. Toetoe flower heads are sparser, droopier, and creamy-yellow to golden, flowering from spring to summer.
Pampas leaves break easily when tugged, and dead leaves curl up like wood shavings at the plant’s base.
“Dig or grub out pampas seedlings and small plants, or remove larger infestations by digger,” says Holly Cox, senior biosecurity advisor.
“Put flower heads into household rubbish, or into your green waste collection. Compost the remaining material or leave on site to rot down.”
There are also herbicide control options.
