The Weed Management Guide for alligator weed, Alternanthera philoxeroides, describes the impact of the weed, its appearance and growth stages, how it spreads, where it grows and where it could spread, and describes the various control methods and their limitations and successful implementation. 

Key points

• Alligator weed poses a significant economic and environmental threat.
• It can grow in water or on land, and has been mistakenly grown in the past as a food.
• Prevention is the most cost-effective form of weed control.
• Quarantine, early detection and good hygiene within infestations will prevent its spread.
• Mechanical and chemical control, integrated with biological control, is effective on established aquatic growth forms.
• However, care must be taken because it spreads easily from fragments.
• Ongoing follow-up control will be required.

Note:

To preserve the technical information it contains, the department is republishing this document. Due to limitations in the CRC’s production process, however, its content may not be accessible for all users. Please contact the department’s Invasive Species Unit if you require more assistance.