Cassinia sifton

Sifton Bush, Chinese Shrub at Hackett, ACT

Request use of media

Identification history

	Cassinia sifton	25 Jun 2023	waltraud
	Cassinia sifton	25 Jun 2023	waltraud

Identify this sighting

Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.

User's notes

In grassy woodland; mapped with Field maps / Treated weeds.

4 comments

waltraud wrote:

25 Jun 2023

hi CNM moderators - I think I inquired about the status discrepancies of this species between the ACT Census of Vascular Plants [Australian Exotic] and CNM [Local]. Any progress in regard to the status of the species? Have the Census botanists changed their minds from exotic to local; perhaps there are (still) competing views of the species' status in the ACT?
My inquiry has a certain urgency from the point of view of a ParkCare person: we observe a massive increase of Sifton bush including close to high conservation sites. It is still time to control Sifton at least at selected sites before it runs out of control.

Mike wrote:

25 Jun 2023

You will need to ask PCS/EPSDD. It is not listed in the Invasive Native Plants List so I assume it is native, and subject to the Nature Conservation Act. There would be good argument for it to be classed as invasive in grassland.
Oops, it is on the list. Still unclear whether it should be controlled.

waltraud wrote:

25 Jun 2023

Thanks Mike.
Sifton was once listed as local, as far as I'm aware, similar to Acacia decurrens. This may explain why the species is not listed under Invasive - I assume you refer to the list on Field Maps? Knife-leaved wattle, Acacia culitriformis, a non-local Australian species is highly invasive as we observe on Mt Majura (where it invades from the Federal highway plantings) but also not listed under Invasive.
All 3 species - Sifton and above mentioned two wattles - are (now) listed Australian Exotic in the Census of Vascular Plants. CNM still lists Sifton as local native which I'm afraid is incorrect.
Parks Service is not even resourced to control the WoNS it considers high priority transformer weeds in "ordinary" nature reserves. I therefore won't expect Parks to consider Sifton, at least not in "ordinary" reserves such as Mt Majura or Mt Ainslie etc. To my knowledge Sifton is controlled in Mulligans Flat but that is of cause a different kettle of fish which will receive another $5.8 Million in the coming budget to implement its management strategy. Mull Flat is the Porsche under nature reserves whereas the "ordinary" reserves like Mt Majura are the falling apart 1968 VW Beetles...

natureguy wrote:

25 Jun 2023

Please refer to the rather comprehensive discussion on Cassinia sifton (Sifton Bush, Chinese Shrub) . Overall I think the consensus is that it was/is native to the ACT, but increasing in presence, and not particularly invasive; it seems to mainly proliferate in more disturbed sites or after disturbance, like other Cassinia species.

Please Login or Register to comment.