Tyrannosaurus rex? No, but just as bad - it’s Turkey Rhubarb! This insidious weed (Acetosa sagittata) is a native of South Africa. It thrives anywhere other than in the driest ground, spreading out of sight underground, with potato-like tubers forming along lateral rhizomes, which can be over a metre long. They are very tricky to remove. The above ground foliage, with its bright green arrow head shaped leaves, grows vigorously and will smother supporting vegetation. This pest is having a last flush of flowers before autumn. If these small clouds of pale green to pink flowers appear in your yard or nearby bushland, try to bag them securely and place them in your land-fill bin. The light seeds are carried far by the wind and there is no natural biological control to slow their numbers.
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Above: Turkey Rhubarb tubers have been found as big as rockmelons.
The stems snap easily and care is needed to trace them back to the soil and dig them out.
Below: A prolific seeder, this is an easy way to locate it.
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