Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Legislation Management Notes

Scientific Name

Salix matsudana Koidz. 'Tortuosa'

Synonyms

Salix babylonica L. var. pekinensis A. Henry
Salix matsudana Koidz. forma tortuosa Rehder
Salix matsudana Koidz.

Family

Salicaceae

Common Names

corkscrew willow, Peking willow, tortured willow

Origin

Native to north-eastern China and Korea.

Naturalised Distribution

This species is naturalised in many parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. in the central and northern tablelands regions of New South Wales, in southern Victoria and in south-eastern South Australia).

Also sparingly naturalised in the ACT.

Legislation

This species is a Class 3 Declared Plant in Queensland. Landholders are not required to control it unless their land is adjacent to an environmentally significant area. However, it is a serious offence to supply a Class 3 pest without a permit issued by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. Penalties of up to $15,000 apply.

Tortured willow (Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa') has also been declared as a Class E Environmental Weed by the Brisbane City Council, because it is known to have damaging effects on the environment in the Brisbane area. The control objective for Class E Environmental Weeds is early detection and eradication (i.e. infestations are to be removed immediately when detected, and previously infested areas are to be monitored).

Tortured willow (Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa') is also a Class 5 Noxious Weed in New South Wales. As such, it is a state restricted weed and its presence must be notified to the relevant local control authority (i.e. it is a notifiable weed). Class 5 Noxious Weeds also cannot be sold or purchased in this state, and they must not knowingly be moved.

It is also a declared plant or noxious weed in the ACT, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Management

As this species is a Class 3 declared plant in Queensland, its control is usually only required by law when it is growing in or near environmentally significant areas. However, it is a potential environmental weed and should be managed in sensitive bushland and conservation areas.

For information on the management of this species see the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Noxious and Environmental Weed Control Handbook, which is available online at http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Notes

Tortured willow (Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa') is regarded as a potential or emerging environmental weed in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. It is one of the willows (Salix spp.) that together as a group are regarded as a Weed of National Significance (WoNS).