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Protecting kunanyi/Mt Wellington from orange hawkweed 

Orange hawkweed can grow over an extremely wide range of temperatures and altitudes and can tolerate a range of conditions – gravel or acidic soils, full sun, part shade, frost and snow! They thrive in overgrazed pasture reducing agricultural productivity and are a particular problem at higher altitudes where they can out compete native plants and replace natural ecosystems.

In Australia, orange hawkweed is at the early stage on invasion with infestations limited to Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales, the Alpine National Park in Victoria and the Central Highlands and Fern Tree in Tasmania.  

Fern Tree represents a unique scenario with complex land tenure - other Australian infestations are limited to crown land or a handful of stakeholders. 

This summer over 350 properties were inspected as part of a renewed push to eradicate this highly invasive weed.