Mexican feather grass.
Photo © Alan Macguire NSW
Department of Primary Industries

Do you have Mexican feather grass (see photo) in your property or in your backyard?

If you do, tell the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) straight away because this plant was declared a class 1 pest on 2 December 2008.

Don't try to deal with the plant yourself because you will only spread the seeds.

Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) – a very invasive species – is a low-protein, high-fibre exotic grass that drives out any other vegetation and is therefore an environmental threat to native grasslands and the wildlife they support.

The grass is believed to have extended across south-east Queensland from Mackay out as far as Longreach and down to the NSW border.

The plant spread through the state after being mislabelled and sold through nurseries as Stipa capriccio, a mistake that led to it being planted extensively in landscaping projects.

The plant is also a declared weed in NSW and Victoria.

Call the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on 13 25 23 if you have any information.

For identification information for Mexican Feather Grass visit the DPI website or Weeds Australia

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email.