Easter Cassia Senna pendula var. glabrata

Easter Cassia is a very well known weed at Crystal Waters at Easter time when it’s profuse yellow flowers are very evident around the property. Easter Cassia is not a prohibited or restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014, however it is a recognised weed at Crystal Waters and is considered a “Locally Significant” species in the Sunshine Coast Council’s Biosecurity Plan 2024 (which you can find here). Council recommends for these species that: “land managers should take action to control and prevent the spread of these species when they are impacting or threatening high value natural areas“. Further information on the species can be found here.

Information and Identification

Easter Cassia originates from South America and has become naturalised in coastal and hinterland areas of Queensland and northern NSW. It is a shrubby or scrambling bush which grows in disturbed areas, especially along roadsides and waterways, as well as in bushland. It’s a prolific seeder and seedlings can be found growing readily in gardens, bushland and forests. Where it grows densely, it can smother native vegetation.

Identification:

• Shrub up to about 5m tall – although it can get a lot taller if it’s climbing up through trees to the sun.
• Leaves are alternate, with 3–6 pairs of leaflets.
• Flowers are bright yellow, 30mm across, in leafy clusters at tips of branches.
• The slender seed pods are up to 12cm long.
• Pods are green when young, brown when mature, each containing around 5–40 seeds.

Impacts

Environmental

• Invades disturbed and modified areas.
• Smothers native vegetation.

Distribution at Crystal Waters

Pretty much everywhere!

Control methods and efforts

There has not been any concerted effort to eliminate Easter Cassia at Crystal Waters, and it doesn’t seem achievable anyway. When we’re working in restoration areas or forests in relatively good condition we remove it in the process of dealing with other weeds with greater impacts. This is in line with Council’s recommendation for this species. Small ones can be pulled up by hand if the soil is reasonably moist , while larger ones can be grubbed out, pulled with a tree popper, ring-barked or cut and dabbed with glyphosate.