Weed of the Month (March): Karamu

A New Zealand native, karamu (Coprosma robusta) was introduced to Australia as a nursery plant in the late 1800s. Karamu has since established itself in a handful of sites in Tasmania, where it poses a serious threat due to its ability to invade undisturbed native forest.

In the Huon Valley, karamu threatens a range of lowland forest types, coastal vegetation, and especially riverside areas, where it forms dense stands that outcompete all other plants.

In 2021, Council will be working to eradicate karamu in the Geeveston area. This project contributes to Stage 2 of the Tasmanian Weeds Action Fund, a $5 million Tasmanian Government initiative, funded from 2018 for five years and delivered by NRM North. The funds provided by the Tasmanian Government will be invested with landholders, land managers and other organisations to tackle weeds that are impacting valuable agricultural and environmental assets.

Have you seen it? Shrub or small tree up to 6m Leaves are dark green, oval-shaped with pointed tips, and sit opposite one another in pairs on branchlets Flowers are small and inconspicuous, but develop into yellow-to-orange fleshy fruits which are eaten and spread by birds Fruits start to appear toward the end of summer Karamu may be confused with mirror bush (Coprosma repens), which looks very similar but has rounder leaves without pointed tips

We need your help to eradicate this weed from the Huon Valley.

Please report local sightings to Council: Weed Management Officer (03) 6264 0300 [email protected]

Information on weed management, including developing your own weed management plan, can be found on our Weeds and the Huon Valley webpage.

Previous Weed of the Month posts