Cassia is a common weed in gardens, bush and roadsides around our Bays. Easily identifiable when its yellow flowers are blooming in autumn, it produces large amounts of long-lived seed pods. It can grow up to five metres tall with spreading branches. 

Please note: Breynia (Coffee bush) is a native plant not a weed and can be confused with Cassia. The easiest way to tell them apart is the alternate leaf arrangement along the stems of Breynia whereas Cassia leaves grow directly opposite each other along their stems. Also look out for reddish stems on Breynia, as well as very small flowers and fruit.

How does it spread

Cassia is spread by seed and by suckers. It was popular as a garden plant in the past. Seeds can be spread by water or by attaching to animals, humans, shoes and tyres.

Control

Your options are to dig out the Cassia tap root but first collect seedpods and dispose of them in red bins otherwise after removing seedpods scrape a length of bark from the main stem and paint the exposed surface with herbicide, or cut at the plant base and paint inside the cut with herbicide (glyphosate).

For further detail and photos go here.

Identify safe and non-invasive plants for your garden here.