Weed profile: Paterson's curse
Paterson's curse
Paterson's curse
Echium plantagineum
Paterson’s curse, also known as salvation Jane, is a major weed in winter pastures throughout southern Australia and can be a problem in areas of natural vegetation.
Paterson’s curse reduces pasture value as it out-competes the more nutritious and palatable pasture plants. Seedlings may be so dense that they completely dominate other species. In winter, the large, broad rosette leaves shade and smother most other species. Where Paterson’s curse replaces legumes in a pasture, nitrogen fixation is reduced and soil fertility declines unless fertiliser is applied.
When Paterson’s curse flowers it is unattractive to grazing stock and after dying provides little useful fodder, resulting in lower stocking rates. The plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. These alkaloids cause liver damage if livestock graze the weed for extended periods. The damage is irreversible.
Status
- Declared in NSW under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993 (view details)