Mexican Bean Tree
This week's weed is the Mexican Bean Tree. It is a fast-maturing tree that can cause serious and irreversible damage to native ecosystems.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
- Fast-growing tree 10-20+m tall
- Large alternate paw-paw-like leaves 10-50cm wide, with the under leaf covered in dense white hairs with stems being hollow
- Yellow-white flower spikes in clusters 12-18cm long
- Fruits are cylindrical, somewhat flattened 3-4mm long with soft sweet flesh with many small seeds
- Prefers wetter habitats - riparian and rainforest edges
WHY IT'S BAD
- Rapid grower and maturing large tree with potential to invade and dominate many moderately moist forest ecosystems
- Fruit eaten by many birds and animals – spreading seeds long distances
- Large monoculture forests of this tree are a risk to native forests and ecosystems
WHAT TO DO
- All sightings MUST be reported to Biosecurity Queensland (BQ) within 24hrs of the sighting. Please phone 132 523 and advise BQ of its location.
- You must NOT keep, move, give away, sell, or released this plant into the environment. Penalties may apply.
MORE INFORMATION