What weed is that?

Mickey Mouse plant is not a Mickey Mouse weed. It’s a truly tough one!

Ochna, unripe seed

Ochna with ripe seed, the birds love it.

Ochna serrulata has been introduced from South Africa. It is a hardy shrub to 2m high, commonly seen along Coal Point and invading our fragile bushland. It is dispersed into bushland by birds and through dumping. 

Its yellow flowers and attractive bright red and black berries are eye catching, but belie its noxious status and the struggle required to uproot it. It has an extended taproot that breaks easily when hand pulled. Pruning off spent flowers before they
form seed will slow dispersal. However, the most successful control is by scraping the stem near the base for 6-8cm and painting immediately with undiluted glyphosate (Round Up). 

Hairy Clerodendrum is a great substitute,
the birds like this one too, and so does the bushland

Some native alternatives are Native Fuschia (Correa species and cultivars), Christmas Bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum), or Hairy Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum tomentosum). If you “go local” you will notice that your garden blends into the local environment better, it will be lower maintenance, should require less water and will provide habitat and food for local wildlife. 

For a European style garden roses, camellias, azaleas and hydrangeas have been in used for a long time and shown no inclination to escape or compromise our bushland beyond the back fence.