This article covers the 10 common native grasses in Victoria, their characteristics, and the best eradication methods.

1. Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra)

• Local Name: Kangaroo Grass 
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Kangaroo grass is a warm-season grass that grows up to 1.5m tall. It has tussocks 0.5m wide and leaf blades about 50 cm long. The perennial grows in a variety of heavy clay soils to sandy soils and is highly drought-tolerant.

The seed head is large, reddish-brown with a drooping habit. The grass is mainly used on lawns and landscaping for its aesthetic appeal and as pasture.

It is native to:

• Africa
• Asia
• Australia
• The Pacific

Removal Methods

• Cultural: Grazing and oversowing with certified pasture seed to increase competition and prevent re-establishment of the grass.
• Mechanical: Burning the grass every 5-10 years, frequent mowing, and slashing can provide effective control.
• Chemical: Apply selective herbicides like Taskforce herbicide to eradicate the grass.

2. Wallaby Grass (Rytidosperma caespitosum)

• Local Name: Evans wallaby grass, Common wallaby grass, Ringed-wallaby grass, White top 
• Family: Poaceae 
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Wallaby grass is a fine-textured grass with showy soft fluffy seed heads about 1m tall. It has flat to inrolled leaves 1-3 mm wide and 30 cm long. 

The grass prefers light sandy to medium clay soils but can also survive on poor soils. It is also a hardy grass that can withstand a range of conditions including drought and frost. 

Common Wallaby grass is mostly found in open grasslands and woodlands and can also be used in ornamental gardens, landscaping, and revegetation. 

It is native to:

• Victoria
• South Australia
• Western Australia
• New South Wales
• Tasmania 

Removal Methods:

Cultural: Frequent grazing can help control wallaby grass, especially since it is highly nutritious and palatable.

3. Brush Wire Grass (Aristida behriana)

• Local Name: Bunch wire grass, Three-awn grass, Long-awned grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Brush wire grass is a short tufted spreading grass that grows up to 40 cm tall. The bright green perennial has slender wiry stems, leaves 2mm wide and 25 cm long, and dense inflorescence clusters. 

As a member of the Aristida genus, its seeds have three radiating awns. Brush wire grass thrives in well-drained and infertile soils. As a drought-resistant grass, it is commonly found in areas with poor rainfall

It is native to:

• Victoria
• New South Wales
• South Australia

Removal Methods 

• Mechanical control: Solarization can provide effective control for small infestations.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides like fluazifop or glyphosate for effective control.

4. Spear Grass (Austrostipa mollis)

• Local Name: Supple spear grass or soft spear grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Spear grass is a robust perennial grass about 1.4m tall. It grows in a rhizomatous tussock with the widespread leaves covering 30-50% of the stem. The inflorescence 30 cm long grows on dense panicles forming a  white to golden spiral at the apex. 

In Victoria, it is found in areas with low-fertility soils such as woodlands, shrublands, coastal dunes, and headlands. 

It is native to: 

• Victoria
• Western Australia
• South Australia
• Tasmania 
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Burning, mowing, or slashing helps to reduce seed set, limiting the spread of the grass. 
• Chemical control: Application of approved herbicides followed by hand removal can provide effective spear grass control.

5. Redgrass (Bothriochloa macra)

• Local Name: Redleg grass, Redleg, Red grass, or Pitted beard grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Bothriochloa macra is a low-growing perennial grass. It is easily identified by its slender reddish stems that can grow up to 1m tall. The leaves are sparsely pubescent, green with maroonish hues at the margins and tips, especially in the warmer months.

It is commonly found in overgrazed pastures, degraded sites, and occasionally in woodlands and derived grasslands. 

It is native to:

• Victoria
• New South Wales
• Queensland
• South Australia

Removal Methods

• Cultural control: Grazing before the seeding culms appear is adequate to remove small infestations.
• Chemical control: Apply a herbicide like glyphosate to effectively eradicate red grass.

6. Bearded Oat (Avena barbata)

• Local Name: Barbed oat, Slender oat, Slender wild oat
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Bearded oat is an annual medium to tall-sized tufted grass 60-100 cm tall. The leaves are flat, glabrous or sparsely hairy, 1-5mm wide and 30 cm long. The flower heads are borne on an open spreading panicle with drooping spikelets 18-30mm long. 

In Victoria, it is a common weed of roadsides, pastures, gardens, waste areas, and disturbed and undisturbed areas. 

It is native to:

• Asia
• Australia
• Europe

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Mowing the grass before the production of seeds or rotational grazing can help control the grass.
• Chemical control: Repeated application of herbicides containing glyphosate or fluazifop prevents seeding and reduces grass growth. 

7. Espartillo (Amelichloa caudata)

• Local Name: Broad-kernel espartillo, Puna grass, and Chilean rice
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Espartillo is a densely tufted grass that grows 75-100 cm tall. The leaves are inrolled and heavily ribbed about 3mm wide and 80 cm long. Flower heads are borne in an elongated panicle with spikelets 6-9mm long. 

A. caudata is commonly found in the central parts of Victoria State in overgrazed pastures, roadsides, temperate grasslands, and near waterways.

It is native to:

• South America

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Repeated cultivation and rotational or strip grazing reduce espartillo. 
• Chemical control: Apply a mixture of flupropanate or glyphosate for effective espartillo control.

8. Australian Sweet-Grass (Glyceria australis) 

• Local Name: Glyceria or Tall glyceria
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial 

Australian sweet-grass is a semi-aquatic to aquatic perennial grass 1.5m in height. It produces glabrous, flat to loosely rolled leaves 8mm wide and 50 cm long. The flowers appear in slender open panicles 20-50cm long with spikelets 3-5mm long. 

It is mostly found in swamps, waterways, ponds, drains, and irrigation channels, in areas like the Victorian Volcanic Plain, Wimmera, Riverina, and Midlands.

It is native to:

• Victoria
• New South Wales
• Tasmania

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Slashing and hand-pulling is a viable option for small infestations. Remember to remove all the rhizome parts for effective eradication. Smothering the grass with black plastic can also effectively eradicate Australian sweet-grass.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing dalapon and glyphosate (Roundup) in late summer or autumn and ensure that all the decaying vegetation is removed to prevent water contamination. 

9. Annual Meadow Grass (Poa annua)

• Local Names: Annual meadow-grass, Annual bluegrass, Annual poa, and Goose grass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Annual 

Annual meadow grass is a winter annual short-growing grass 10-30 cm tall. The leaves 5mm wide and 2 cm long are folded in the sheath when young, flattening in maturity. It is easily distinguished from other grasses by the leaf tip which resembles the bow of a boat. 

It is a common weed in lawns, gardens, pastures, disturbed areas, and agricultural farms in Victoria.

It is native to:

• Australia
• Europe 
• Asia
• Africa

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Hand pulling and digging out the roots can be effective, especially in damp conditions. 
• Chemical control: Numerous herbicides can be used for P. annua control in crop farms and native vegetation. 

10. Common Love-Grass (Eragrostis brownii)

• Local Name: Brown’s Lovegrass
• Family: Poaceae
• Annual or Perennial: Perennial

Common love-grass is a tufted slender grass that grows up to 60 cm tall. It produces bright green, flat to slightly enrolled leaves 4mm wide and 25-30 cm long. The flowers form in an open panicle 20-30 cm long and are grey to olive green in colour.

E. brownii is a common weed in dry grasslands, woodlands, pastures, and disturbed sites across Victoria. 

It is native to:

• Australia 
• New Zealand

Removal Methods

• Mechanical control: Grazing when the grass is young can effectively reduce its growth and spread. Other methods to consider include mowing or slashing.
• Chemical control: Apply herbicides containing glyphosate, imazapyr, or sethoxydim when the grass is at least 50-80% green for the best results. 

Sylvia Kiragu

Lead Editor for Insight Weeds.

insightweeds.com/

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