Identification of weeds

It is important to correctly identify a plant to ensure that any control methods will be effective and appropriate.

Factors to consider when identifying plants include:

• where and when the plant grows
• what group the plant belongs to (i.e. herb, grass, shrub, tree, vine, water plant)
• leaves-shape, size, colour
• flower, seed head or fruiting body.

Tools that may assist in the identification of plants include:

• Weeds Australia online identification tool
• Weed identification guides
• Fact sheets and information available from the A to Z listing of weeds on this website
• Brisbane City Council weed identification website.

Plants can be very difficult to identify, or may be confused with plants that are not weeds, including native or endangered species.

Some plants also look very different in their juvenile and mature stages.

If a plant cannot be identified using online tools or weed identification publications, correct identification can be gained by sending a sample to the Queensland Herbarium.

The Queensland Herbarium's website provides information about collecting and preparing plant specimens for identification.