Identifying and eradicating poisonous plants

If you notice a plant you are not familiar with, you should have it identified as soon as possible so action can be taken if needed.

Collect a sample of the plant, including leaves, flowers and seeds (if present), and press it between sheets of newspaper to dry out for a few days, attempting to preserve the leaves and flowers in as natural a state as possible so a definitive identification can be made. Fresh, non-wilted plants (collected into paper, not plastic bags) are also very useful for identification.

Also, good-quality, close-up digital photos of suspect plants can be very useful and rapid for identifying plants. You can email these to your local Biosecurity Queensland veterinary officer or inspector, or vet practitioner, who can seek identification from appropriate specialists. Images of many of the species discussed above can be viewed on the Australian Plant Image Index.

If you identify unknown or known toxic plants, be careful with how you proceed to eradicate or treat these plants. When treated with herbicides some plants become more palatable and/or more toxic, which may increase the risk of intoxication. It may be wise to move stock away from affected areas before applying herbicide to plants.