The Weed Control Act helps reduce the impact of noxious weeds. Noxious weeds are plants that injure agricultural and/or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, humans or livestock.
The Act does not include lawns, gardens or other private areas far enough away from land used for agricultural or horticultural purposes.
Noxious weeds can be destroyed by
- Pulling/removing plants from soil
- Cutting roots or stalks of plants before seeds have developed enough to ripen after cutting
- Plowing or cultivating the soil the plants are growing in
- Treating plants with a herbicide that destroys them or prevents their growth/seed ripening
Noxious weed species
The Act defines the following plant species as noxious weeds:
| Barberry, common | Berberis vulgaris L. |
|---|---|
| Bedstraw, smooth | Galium mollugo L. |
| Buckthorn, European | Rhamnus cathartica L. |
| Chervil, wild | Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffmann |
| Coltsfoot | Tussilago farfara L. |
| Crupina, common | Crupina vulgaris Cass. |
| Cupgrass, woolly | Eriochloa villosa (Thunb.) Kunth |
| Dodder spp. | Cuscuta spp. |
| Dog-strangling vine | Vincetoxicum rossicum (Kleopow) Barbar. |
| Dog-strangling vine, black | Vincetoxicum nigrum (L.) Moench |
| Goatgrass, jointed | Aegilops cylindrica Host |
| Hogweed, giant | Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier |
| Knapweed spp. | Centaurea spp. |
| Kudzu | Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr. |
| Parsnip, wild | Pastinaca sativa L. |
| Poison-hemlock | Conium maculatum L. |
| Poison-ivy | Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze |
| Ragweed spp. | Ambrosia spp. |
| Ragwort, tansy | Senecio jacobaea L. |
| Sow-thistle spp. | Sonchus spp. |
| Spurge, cypress | Euphorbia cyparissias L. |
| Spurge, leafy | Euphorbia esula L. |
| Thistle, bull | Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore |
| Thistle, Canada | Cirsium arvense (L.) Scopoli |
| Tussock, serrated | Nassella trichotoma Hackel ex Arech. |
For images and information on these weeds and the best ways to eliminate them, see the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs' noxious weeds information page.
