FLOWERS:• Appear above leaves in the middle of the plant• Silvery-white to pink in colour• Flowers year-round

LEAVES:• Long, narrow, V-shaped in cross-section

• Curving upward from the base, then curving downwards at the ends

• Greyish or bluish-green • Margins sharp, cutting

SEEDS:• Tiny wind-blown seeds fall from old flower stalks• Flowers appear white when full of mature seeds

STEM:• Reed-like stem• Brittle with age

IDEN

TIFI

CATI

ON

: Pam

pas

gras

s (C

orta

deria

sel

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GIANT GRASS:• Fountain-like growth up to 2m high

• Grows up to 4m, including flowering stalks

Cape Town Weed Alert

Pampasgrass

(Cortaderia selloana)

Please report all sightings of pampas grass to www.capetowninvasives.org.za

What can I do?

1) Sign up to the Spotter Network at

www.capetowninvasives.org.za

2) Log your sightings on the Spotter Network so we know where the plants are situated.

3) How do I remove it?If you can physically remove the plant, log its removal on

the system so that we know that it has been removed.

4) If you can’t remove it yourself, the Cape Town Invasive Species Unit will send out a team.

Join the Cape Town EDRR Spotter Network

Why is it a problem?

• Prolific seed producer.• Flowers cause respiratory tract irritation.• Sharp leaves can cut skin.• Rapid spread and dense growth-form

means it outcompetes indigenous plants.

How do I remove it?

• Wearing protective gear, mature plants need to be dug out by the roots.

• Ensure all root fragments are removed.• For chemical control, contact the

Cape Town Invasive Species office.• WARNING: Herbicides should only be

applied by suitably trained and equipped individuals.

How does it spread?

• Each plant can produce over a million wind-blown seeds.

• Tolerates very poor soil.• Large, rhizomatous roots resist fire.

What if I can’t remove it myself?

Join the Spotter Network and the Cape Town Early Detection and

Rapid Response (EDRR) unit will send out a team to help you.

Sightings to date

Help us complete this picture. Where does it grow? Have you seen it?

Help us protect Cape Town’s natural heritage from alien

invader plant species. Sign up online and become a volunteer. www.capetowninvasives.org.za

NEMBA Category 1b InvaderRemove & DestroyMay not be traded

Legal status

For more information, contact: The Cape Town Invasive Species Unit, Environmental Resource Management, Westlake Conservation

Office, Ou Kaapse Weg, Tokai. Tel: (021) 712 1434/1944

Email: edrr@capetown.gov.zaFind us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ctinvasives

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