Know your weeds - Cape Tulip
- Scott Jardine, Economic Development Officer
- Sep 14, 2018
- 3 min read
Cape Tulip (one leaf) or Moraea flaccida is a regionally controlled weed in the Surf Coast Shire.
Important Information:
Cape Tulip (one-leaf) is a pink-orange flowering bulb which appears for a very brief 2-4 week period in early spring on roadsides and in paddocks.
All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans as well as to stock if ingested. It contains toxic chemicals (cardiac glycosides).
Stock consuming about a kilogram of fresh leaf material can die within 24 hours.
The dry plant material remains toxic and will contaminate hay.
Description:
Cape Tulip is a perennial herb from South Africa which grows to around 70cm high with stiff, erect stems that zigzag as they branch.
It grows from underground corms and produces multiple new corms every year.
The pink-orange flowers have a yellow centre and grow at the tip of the flowering stem.
How it spreads:
Cape Tulip spreads by the movement of seed (1200 seeds per plant) and corms (7000 corms per square metre), which are caught up in farm machinery and particularly in hay or silage.
Weed Management:
Ask your agribusiness consultant, local Biosecurity Officer or Landcare coordinator for assistance in preparing a weed management plan.
Do not allow contractors with dirty machinery to work on your property - if necessary provide a wash-down area so they can clean their equipment. If you already have Cape tulip, do not allow it to spread from your property. Learn and map where infestations are located to avoid spreading Cape tulip by cultivation. Include weed infestations in farm mapping and planning.
If you can, always work from clean to dirty areas. Wash down machinery before moving it to clean areas, as Cape tulip and many other weeds are known to spread in soil. Use effective control techniques, including herbicides, to reduce the size of Cape tulip infestations.
Some landholders have expressed concern about using 'toxic' chemicals on pastures; however, remember that Cape tulip can be deadly to livestock and the longer its control is delayed, the more it will spread.
Control of Cape Tulip will take at least several years and requires persistence as up to 60% of corms (bulbs) can remain dormant in the soil. Spraying will not kill these dormant corms which can take 2-3 years to flower. The longer control is delayed, the more the weed will spread
Council is currently controlling Cape Tulip on municipal roadsides and other Council owned or managed land - see map below for 2018 management areas.
Landowners are responsible for taking all reasonable steps to prevent the growth and spread of Cape Tulip on their land. Cape Tulip (one-leaf) is a declared noxious weed under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994
Suggested control measures include:
Manual control by using gloves and hand pulling of small infestations is possible, particularly in wet soil. It is important to try and remove as many corms as possible.
Any removed corms should be bagged-and-burned.
Where burning weeds is not possible, noxious weeds such as cape tulip should be placed in a sealed black plastic bag and solarised (left in the sun to break down the viable plant material) before putting in the garbage.
The toxic compounds in Cape Tulip can be highly toxic and may not be broken down by composting. Do not place cape tulip plant material in compost or green waste bins.
Chemical control using a registered herbicide just prior to or at flowering. – Note dormant corms will not be controlled by herbicide application and follow up treatment (at least 4 years) will be required.
Further information:
Moore, J and Wheeler, J 2008, Southern Weeds and their control (2nd edition). Department of Agriculture and Food.
Parsons, WT and Cuthbertson, EG 2000, Noxious Weeds of Australia. CSIRO Publishing.
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