Singapore Daisy
A little about the invasive weed, the Singapore Daisy.
Singapore Daisy
sphagneticola trilobata
Family: Asteraceae
Other Names: Wedelia Trilobata
Origin: Native to Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina
Description: Mat-forming groundcover to 70cm high, with stems 2m or more in length. Dark green glossy toothed leaves, yellow daisy-like flowers.
Habitat: Common in coastal and tropical Queensland, coastal New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Grows in many areas, both dry and wet soil areas – on roadsides, bushland, disturbed rainforest, wetlands, river areas and wasteland.
Introduction: Introduced as an ornamental and planted as a roadway embankment stabilizer in Queensland, also promoted by nurseries in the 1970s.
Dispersal: Able to spread by seed but most often spread by shoots from stem nodes. Regrows easily from stem pieces so is most often spread by dumping of garden clippings and prunings, as well as by birds and water.
Problem: Invasive and fast-growing groundcover that forms a dense mat, and prevents native species from sprouting and growing due to lack of space, sunlight and water. Climbs over and shades out low-growing existing vegetation. Reshoots very easily from pieces left in the ground or dumped.
Removal: Reshoots from tiny stem pieces so needs to be carefully dug out from the ground and destroyed in liquid weed teas, or killed via herbicide.
Weeds.org.au is a great resource if you’re trying to identify a particular weed.
Tags: singapore daisy, weeds
July 31st, 2008 at 2:41 am
Curious why as a permaculturist you are using the emotional human terms of ‘Invasive’?
July 31st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Singapore Daisy tends to spread aggressively, hence the use of the term ‘invasive’.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Singapore Daisy is definitely a weed as we have it growing in numerous spots around our block and neighboring area’s BUT it does have a good side to it.
It is excellent in holding creek banks together in stopping erosion, we have it growing mostly along our creek and the area’s that do not have the Singapore Daisy growing along the creek bank have been seriously eroded(especially during the wet season).
But the area’s that have the Singapore Daisy right down to the waterline the banks are still in excellent condition, so “Singapore Daisy” does have it’s “good” sides.
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:25 am
The “yellow weed” came into our farm somehow and has now taken over many area’s. Being that we are in a rain forest, it is more prolific. Apart from the problems described, there are benifits. One it is eaten by the cows and the bullocks. The yellow flowers are beautiful all year and always green. Trees are no affected by it. It conditions the soil underneath it. It can be effectively mulched or removed by laying black plastic. The small flowers are good to make garlands for God. The plant has some ayurvedic medicinal value. But yes it is almost impossible to remove and smothers young plants. I know no natural herbicide that can wipe it out? do you?