Alternanthera brasiliana

Common names – Purple joyweed, Purple splash.

This plant from Mexico is used as a hedging plant and responds very well to regular pruning. It can grow from seed but the main method of dispersal is from small pieces breaking off and taking root. Mowing and hedge trimming easily spreads it around.

Because it doesn’t easily spread from seed, this plant would normally sit in the orange zone – Don’t plant anymore.

However recently I’ve found it spreading from gardens into bush land by growing through the fence or being dumped. Once into bush land it quickly spreads and out-competes natives. It’s also hard to kill with herbicide and breaks off easily when pulled. For these reasons I place this weed in the red zone – Remove.

If you have Joyweed in your property please be very careful when mowing, whipper snipping or hedging.

A good alternative to Joyweed that can be hedged is Midyim.

By Michelle