Cotton Bush
About
Narrow-leaf cotton bush (Gomphocarpus fruticosus) is a bright green, soft seedling that matures into a woody-stemmed plant. It can exceed over two metres in height and produces white flowers. Its seeds are small, brown, and adorned with tufts of white hairs, contained within distinctive pods that burst open upon maturity. Each pod can hold over 300 seeds, which are dispersed by wind, water, livestock, and machinery.
All parts of the plant are toxic to livestock, particularly when consumed in hay. Symptoms of poisoning include loss of appetite, weakness, depression, blindness, dysentery, scouring, and paralysis of the hind legs. Death can occur within three days if untreated.
Young plants can be managed through hand-pulling or grubbing, ensuring removal of the crown and as many roots as possible to minimise suckering. For larger infestations, a combination of herbicide application, slashing, and pasture management is recommended. Slashing or mowing during winter can be effective if followed by treatment of regrowth before flowering. Disturbing or clearing the soil may lead to repeated germination events, necessitating ongoing control efforts.
Management calendar
Control options
Chemical
Due to legal requirements, PHBG cannot recommend specific herbicides. Please click the links below for specific chemical control options for this weed.
Physical
Cotton bush can be physically removed at all stages of growth.
Young cotton bush can be pulled relatively easily, use gloves to prevent the milky sap from causing irritation.
Mature and flowering plants can be hand pulled and left to rot above ground.
Large mature plants can be removed easily by borrowing one of our tree poppers.
Prevent reshooting by shaking off heavy soil load on the roots. If the plants are podding then remove the pods and the mature plants can then be removed from the soil. Pods can be placed in a plastic bag to prevent seed spread, burnt or deep buried.
Biological
No biological control agent has been developed for this weed.
Report a cotton bush hotspot
With your help, the PHBG can identify locations of declared weed infestations. We want to know about infestations that concern or affect you. Click the green button below to open the reporting form in a separate tab.