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Threats and weeds

Cape Broom

Genista monspessulana
Declared

A dense woody legume that crowds out native seedlings. Declared in South Australia.

Cape Broom, Genista monspessulana, at Skye Sanctuary

How to identify it

  • Dense shrub with yellow pea flowers.
  • Three-part leaves, green ridged stems.
  • Spreads fast from a long-lived seed bank.

Why it is a problem

Forms thickets that shade out and replace native shrubs and ground cover, and leaves a seed bank that keeps germinating for years after the parent plants are gone.

How to control it

Hand-pull or dig small plants before they set seed. Cut-and-swab or stem-inject larger stems. Follow up every year to catch seedbank germination. It is a declared plant, so control is a legal requirement.

Where it is at Skye

Recorded across the slope in the September survey.

Status at Skye

Declared weed, present on Mount Skye.

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