If you ask someone doing bush care, “What is a woody weed?” They will give you a list of introduced plants. However if you ask the same question of an outback grazier, they will give you a list of native, indigenous plants. Here I will talk of introduced woody weeds.
I am not sure why blackberries are classified as woody weeds and not pinus radiata. However, it seems that woody weeds are simply a common name for shrub like plants that are also weeds. They include blackberry, broom, gorse, erica, tree lucerne, etc. They are all easily removed when compared with some other introduced plants.
The easiest method of removal is to cut them off fairly low in the stem and immediately apply one of the many available, woody weed poisons with a swab. It is important to apply the poison within 30 seconds.
All woody weeds make excellent compost so they can easily be recycled through your veggie garden.
All woody weeds have evolved to take advantage of clearing events. They all thrive under fire management and can easily become the dominant species under a fire management regime.
When they do get the opportunity to germinate and grow, they flower and seed profusely. They produce seeds that last well in the soil. The seeds do not germinate unless an event remove the parents.
From a management point of view the first removal may well be the easiest. Usually their removal triggers a mass of new plants. With their removal another lot of seeds germinate and on it goes. It is therefore important to minimise soil disturbance for twenty or thirty years after removal of these weeds.
Unfortunately many bush carers believe that removal of introduced woody weeds is all that needs to be done with bush management. Often the weed problem is worse after a bit of bush management than before.
If there are any introduced woody weeds in bushland then it is imperative that after a fire event, any regrowth is managed or it can easily end up as just an area of introduced woody weeds managed naturally by wild fire.
The following is a list of introduced woody weeds at Wirrapunga. Seedlings of these species will need to be removed for many years.
| Genus | Species | Common Name |
| Hedera Chrysanthemoides Senecio Acacia Acacia Cytisus Cytisus Genista Ulex Olea Pinus Pittosporum Cotoneaster Prunus Rosa Rubus |
helix monilifera pterophorus baileyana longifolia proliferus scoparius monspessulana europaeus europaea radiata undulatum simonsii cerasifera canina laciniatus |
ivy boneseed African daisy Cootamundra wattle sallow wattle tree lucerne English broom Montpellier broom gorse olive monterey pine sweet pittosporum cotoneaster cherry-plum dog rose blackberry |