Capeweed
What Is Capeweed?
Capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) is a fast-growing weed that spreads quickly in lawns, gardens, paddocks, and along roadsides. You can spot it by its bright yellow daisy-like flowers with a dark centre and its soft, grey-green leaves that have deep lobes. The leaves feel woolly underneath. Capeweed grows low to the ground and forms thick mats that take over bare or disturbed soil fast.
Why Is It A Problem?
Capeweed grows fast and competes with grass, crops, and other plants for water, nutrients, and sunlight. It smothers lawns and pastures, making it hard for other plants to grow. In crops, capeweed can lower yields, especially if it grows before sowing. It also causes problems for livestock, as eating too much can lead to scouring or poisoning.
How to Identify Capeweed
Capeweed might look harmless at first, but it spreads fast and takes over lawns and paddocks if left alone. Here’s how to spot it before it gets out of hand:
Leaves
Capeweed has soft, grey-green leaves that are deeply lobed and covered in white, woolly hairs underneath. They grow close to the ground in a rosette shape and can reach 25–30 cm long. As they spread out, they often smother nearby grass and take up space quickly.
Flowers
Its bright yellow, daisy-like flowers with a dark centre are easy to spot. These large flowers grow on single stalks, mostly during spring. Because of their bold colour, they’re often mistaken for regular daisies at first glance.
Growth
Capeweed spreads low and wide, forming thick mats that crowd out grass. It also grows runners, helping it spread even faster. Over time, this makes it harder for healthy lawn to grow back in those areas.
Seeds
Each plant makes thousands of fluffy seeds that spread easily through wind, water, animals, or even machinery. So, once it takes hold, it can quickly move across your yard or paddock if not managed early.
Effective Methods
Capeweed can quickly take over lawns, pastures, and gardens if left alone. But with a few simple steps, you can keep it under control and stop it from coming back. Here’s how to manage capeweed using easy and effective methods:
Grow Healthy Lawns and Pastures
To begin, grow thick, healthy grass or plants. Dense lawns and pastures leave little room for capeweed to grow. Also, regular mowing or grazing helps stop capeweed from flowering and making seeds.
Pull Out Capeweed by Hand
When you spot small patches, pull them out by hand. It’s best to get the whole root, especially when the soil is damp. This way, you stop the plants from spreading seeds.
Use Mulch or Cover Crops
In garden beds or bare patches, add mulch or plant cover crops. These help block sunlight and stop capeweed seeds from growing. Plus, mulch keeps the soil moist and supports healthy plants.
Spray Selective Herbicides
For larger areas, use a selective broadleaf herbicide. Look for ones with ingredients like 2,4-D or MCPA. Spray when capeweed is young and actively growing—usually in autumn or early winter. Always read the label and follow the instructions.
Rotate Your Control Methods
Capeweed can build resistance to some herbicides. So, mix up your control methods each season. A mix of hand-pulling, mowing, grazing, and spraying works best over time.
Chemical Control Options
You can also try using herbicides to for capeweed control and other common weeds. Along with hand-pulling and mulching, this adds extra support—especially when weeds spread across larger areas. Here are some helpful options to consider:
Lawn Builder Weed Feed & Green Up
Scotts Lawn Builder Weed Feed & Green Up is a handy 2L hose-on lawn fertiliser that feeds your lawn, boosts its green colour, and controls weeds all in one go. It’s perfect for keeping your garden looking neat and healthy without much effort. This product targets a wide range of broadleaf weeds like bindii (also called jo-jo or Onehunga), clover, capeweed, chickweed, and more, making it a simple way to grow a lush, weed-free lawn.
Yates Weed ‘N’ Feed Hose on
Yates Weed ‘N’ Feed Hose On is a quick and easy way to tackle broadleaf weeds like bindii, clover, dandelions, and thistles while feeding your lawn at the same time. This dual-action formula not only kills weeds but also provides key nutrients like nitrogen and iron to boost lush green growth. The 4L hose-on pack features a simple On/Off switch, so you can attach it to your hose and spray your lawn without any mixing or mess. It’s a hassle-free way to keep your grass healthy and weed-free.
Yates Weedkiller For Lawns RTU
Yates Weedkiller for Lawns RTU makes it easy to control bindii, clover, and other broadleaf weeds like dandelion, capeweed, chickweed, cudweed, dock, fleabane, lamb’s tongue, wireweed, and creeping oxalis without damaging your lawn. This ready-to-use spray comes with a built-in wetting agent for better leaf coverage and faster results. Since there’s no mixing needed, you can tackle capeweed control and other weeds in lawns, turf, and even along pathways with little effort.
For more Capeweed Control ways and other weeds, take a look at our Garden Weed Control Range.
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