Invasive vs. Naturalised Plants in Victoria: Understanding the Impact & Sustainable Solutions 

Victoria is home to a mix of native, naturalised, and invasive plant species.
While some introduced plants integrate into ecosystems without causing harm, others spread aggressively, disrupting biodiversity, damaging landscapes, and causing major economic and environmental costs.

While many plants like Wild Radish, Blackberry, Gorse, and Serrated Tussock have been labeled as invasive in Victoria, it’s important to recognize that no plant is inherently “good” or “bad.” The impact of a plant is largely determined by its environment—what may be beneficial in one ecosystem can become problematic in another.

In their natural habitats, these plants often play vital roles in nutrient cycling, pollination, and soil stabilization, but they remain balanced due to natural predators, herbivores, and competing native species that regulate their growth. When introduced to new environments without these natural controls, they can spread unchecked, outcompeting native flora and altering ecosystems.

Understanding the difference between naturalised and invasive species helps us develop sustainable, integrated management approaches that protect Country and work in harmony with the land.

Invasive Introduced Species

Invasive introduced species can spread rapidly, outcompeting native vegetation, altering soil conditions, and disrupting natural water cycles.
Humans often fall into dualistic thinking, labeling plants as 'good' or 'bad,' but this oversimplification ignores the complexity and nuance of how plants interact with different ecosystems.

A plant that plays a vital ecological role in its native environment can cause significant harm when introduced to a new ecosystem. Even native Australian plants, when taken out of their natural habitats, can wreak havoc in other regions.

For example, Eucalyptus species, which are native to Australia, have been planted in areas like California and South Africa. In these regions, their fast-growing nature and oil-rich leaves have contributed to increased wildfire risks, as they are highly flammable. This demonstrates how even native species, when placed outside their original environments, can disrupt local ecosystems and increase fire hazards.

Similarly, Acacia species, native to Australia, have become problematic in places like South Africa, where they outcompete local vegetation and alter soil chemistry, making it difficult for native plants to survive.

Here are some of the most problematic invaders in Victoria and how they behave in their natural environments versus their new ones:

Wild Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum)

Spread Rate: Produces thousands of seeds that remain viable in soil for up to 20 years.

Consequences: Competes with crops, reducing yields and impacting soil health. Sustainable

Solutions: Crop rotation, pasture competition, and intercropping with cover crops to suppress growth.

Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus agg.)

Spread Rate: Spreads via seeds, root fragments, and cane layering, forming dense, impenetrable thickets.

Consequences: Reduces waterway health, increases fire risk, and prevents native plant regeneration.

Sustainable Solutions: Targeted grazing, controlled cool burns, and manual removal of root systems to prevent regrowth.

Gorse (Ulex europaeus)

Spread Rate: Produces up to 18,000 seeds per plant, remaining viable for 30+ years.

Consequences: Forms dense monocultures, reducing habitat for wildlife and increasing fire hazards.

Sustainable Solutions: Cool burning, leaky weirs, and contour banks to improve soil and water balance.

Serrated Tussock (Nassella trichotoma)

Spread Rate: Wind disperses up to 100,000 seeds per plant annually.

Consequences: Depletes soil nutrients, leading to degraded pastures
and poor livestock feed. 

Sustainable Solutions: Rotational grazing, biological control, and native pasture restoration.

Many plants, such as Wild Radish, Blackberry, Gorse, and Serrated Tussock, are classified as invasive in Victoria. However, it’s essential to understand that no plant is inherently “good” or “bad.” A plant’s impact depends largely on its surroundings—while it may support one ecosystem, it can become disruptive in another.

In their native environments, these species contribute to essential ecological functions like nutrient cycling, pollination, and soil stabilization. There, natural predators, herbivores, and diseases help keep their populations in check, preventing them from spreading uncontrollably. Additionally, competition with other native species ensures they do not dominate the landscape. 

For example, in their native regions, Gorse stabilizes soil and provides a food source for certain animals, but its spread is controlled by natural processes. Similarly, Blackberry helps prevent soil erosion in its original habitat, where other plants with similar growth habits or herbivores keep it in check.

When these plants are introduced to new environments, like Victoria, they lack these natural checks and balances. Without their typical competitors, predators, or co-evolved relationships with other species, they can spread rapidly, outcompeting native vegetation, altering soil conditions, and disrupting local ecosystems.

This is why managing these plants in Victoria requires a thoughtful approach that takes into account not only their invasive potential but also their original role in their natural habitats. Sustainable solutions such as controlled grazing, targeted removal, and ecological restoration practices aim to restore balance by addressing the root causes of invasiveness—ensuring that we don’t unintentionally disrupt the natural processes that once kept these plants in check.

Naturalised but Not Invasive Species

Some introduced plants persist in the landscape without aggressively displacing native ecosystems. In some cases, they provide benefits such as soil improvement, pollinator support, or medicinal properties. However, it’s important to monitor them in certain conditions to prevent uncontrolled spread.

Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

Benefits:

Pollinator Support: Produces nectar-rich flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects.

Medicinal Uses: Traditionally used for its calming properties; lavender oil is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Soil & Agriculture: Drought-tolerant and can be used in permaculture designs as a companion plant for pest control.

Management Tip: While not considered invasive in Victoria, it can spread in disturbed areas. To prevent unwanted spread, maintain plantings within designated areas and harvest regularly.

Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Benefits:

Medicinal Uses: Used in traditional and herbal medicine for wound healing, digestion support, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Soil Health: Helps control erosion with its deep root system and can improve soil structure.

Pollination: Supports a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

Agriculture: Often used as a companion plant due to its ability to repel insect pests.

Management Tip: Yarrow can spread in disturbed or overgrazed sites. It should be managed in conservation and high biodiversity areas to prevent outcompeting native species.

 Clovers (Trifolium spp., e.g., White Clover - Trifolium repens)

 Benefits:

Soil Enrichment: Fixes nitrogen in the soil, improving fertility naturally and reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers.

Agricultural Benefits: Provides high-quality forage for livestock and supports regenerative grazing systems.

Erosion Control: Helps stabilize soils in pastures and grasslands.

Pollination: Supports honeybees and native pollinators with its abundant nectar production.

Management Tip: Clovers can spread in agricultural settings but do not typically invade native ecosystems. Use them in pasture rotations to maintain balance and avoid dominance over other vegetation.

Note: While some species are not currently considered invasive in Victoria, it's essential to monitor their behavior, as environmental changes can influence their potential to become invasive.

Sustainable Collaborative Integrated Land Management

Tackling invasive species requires a holistic approach that prioritizes ecosystem health over short-term fixes. Over-reliance on herbicides can disrupt soil biology, harm non-target species, and create herbicide-resistant weeds. Instead, sustainable collaborative integrated land management focuses on restoring balance through diverse, chemical-free methods.

Successful invasive species management depends on collaboration.
Weeds do not respect property boundaries, so efforts must extend beyond individual farms or reserves.
Partnerships between landholders, Traditional Owners, conservationists, and community groups ensure a landscape-scale approach that builds long-term resilience.

Caring for Country-Indigenous Led Land Care

Cultural Burning Practices
Traditional Indigenous fire practices, also known as "cultural burning," have been used for thousands of years to manage land, reduce fuel loads, and promote biodiversity. These controlled burns are designed to mimic natural fire regimes, ensuring that ecosystems thrive by reducing the dominance of invasive plants and encouraging the regeneration of native species.

Benefits: Reduces fire risks, promotes the health of fire-dependent ecosystems, and enhances the regeneration of native plants and animals.

Sustainable Solutions: Collaboration with Traditional Owners to carry out these burns, led by their extensive knowledge of local ecosystems.

Traditional Planting Methods and Cultivation of Indigenous Foods

Traditional planting methods often involve techniques such as the use of indigenous "companion" plants that support the growth of other plants. These practices enhance soil fertility and can help restore ecosystems by encouraging the regeneration of native plants while deterring the spread of invasive species. For example, Aboriginal communities in Victoria would harvest and carefully split the tubers of Murnong (yam daisy), a highly valued root vegetable, and replant them in the soil to promote continued growth. This practice ensured a sustainable harvest and allowed the yam daisy to thrive year after year.

In addition to Murnong, other plants like warragul greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides) and finger lime (Citrus australasica) were also cultivated and managed by Aboriginal people in Victoria. These plants were nurtured not only for their edible leaves and fruit but also for their medicinal properties and importance in cultural practices.

These time-honored techniques not only supported the community’s nutritional needs but also helped maintain a deep connection to the land, ensuring sustainable use of resources for future generations.

Benefits: Supports ecosystem restoration, promotes biodiversity, revitalizes traditional food and medicine sources, and enhances the understanding of the symbiotic relationships between plants and their environment.

Sustainable Solutions: Partnering with local Indigenous communities to restore native plant species such as yam daisy, warragul greens, and finger lime in cultural landscapes, while applying traditional knowledge of planting and cultivation techniques

Water Management through Traditional Methods

Traditional water management systems, such as weirs, fish traps, and irrigation techniques, are integral to sustainable land and water management. These methods often involve working with natural water cycles to preserve the health of waterways and prevent erosion, as well as conserving water resources in times of drought.

Benefits: Promotes ecological resilience, conserves water resources, and improves habitat for aquatic species.

Sustainable Solutions: Partnering with Traditional Owners to revitalize these water management systems, incorporating them into modern land and water governance frameworks.

Bush Tucker Harvesting and Regeneration

Indigenous practices of sustainable bush tucker harvesting can help control invasive species.
For example, harvesting invasive species like Gorse or Blackberry for food or fibre helps reduce their spread while providing an additional resource. Similarly, carefully managed harvesting of native plants helps regenerate ecosystems and maintain biodiversity.

Benefits: Encourages community engagement in conservation, reduces the spread of invasive species, and supports food sovereignty.

Sustainable Solutions: Educating and involving local communities, led by Indigenous groups, in bush tucker harvesting practices that support ecological restoration.

Traditional Grazing, Animal Management, and Totemic Practices

Indigenous grazing methods involve managing native herbivores and other animals in ways that balance the ecosystem. These traditional practices are deeply rooted in knowledge of migratory patterns, grazing behavior, and totemic systems, ensuring animals are managed in harmony with the land to prevent overgrazing and land degradation. Central to these methods is the respect for totemic systems, where every species, from the smallest insect to larger animals like kangaroos and dingoes, is seen as sacred and protected by a specific Indigenous community.

Benefits: Supports ecological balance, prevents overgrazing, improves soil health, and ensures that all species, including those often deemed as pests like kangaroos, dingoes, foxes, and rabbits, are treated with respect and protected within the cultural framework of totemic systems.

Sustainable Solutions: Collaborating with Traditional Owners to understand and integrate their fauna management practices into modern agricultural systems is crucial. These practices emphasize respect for all  fauna, from threatened species to those humans deem as pests like Foxes, Rabbits, Kangaroos and Dingoes, promoting methods that avoid mass culling and poisoning while focusing on sustainable management.

By integrating traditional hunting values, such as poison-free methods and actions done in balance with totemic systems, we can ensure that each species remains protected and managed without disrupting ecological harmony.

By incorporating these methods into the sustainable land management framework, you’ll not only enrich the ecological integrity of the land but also foster stronger connections with the cultural heritage of Indigenous communities in Victoria. Integrating these practices ensures that future generations benefit from both the ecological and cultural richness of the land, while maintaining a deep respect for all native species, ensuring their protection and balance.

Regenerative Agriculture for Invasive Control

Sustainable farming and grazing practices improve soil health, water retention, and biodiversity—helping suppress invasive species naturally. Integrating Indigenous food and medicine forests into these systems can enhance food sovereignty, support biodiversity, and provide habitat corridors for local fauna while helping to control invasive species.

Leaky Weirs & Contour Banks – Slow water flow, reduce erosion, and prevent weed seed spread.

Rotational Grazing & Diverse Pastures – Prevent bare soil exposure where invasives take hold.

Cover Crops & Native Pasture Reseeding – Crowd out weeds while restoring soil nutrients.

Mulching with Available Materials – Use fallen trees, branches, and other organic matter found on-site to smother invasive seedlings and improve soil health.

Mechanical & Manual Control – Includes slashing, targeted hand-weeding, and mechanical removal (digging out root systems with minimal soil disturbance).

Biocontrol Methods – Insects, fungi, or pathogens can be introduced to target specific invasive species in farmland without harming crops or beneficial plants. This method reduces the need for chemical herbicides over time.

Slashing & Brush Cutting – Regular cutting of invasive plants before they set seed prevents their spread and reduces competition with crops or pasture grasses. It’s especially useful along fencelines, pastures, and non-cultivated areas of farms.

Collaborate with Local Traditional Owners for Indigenous-Led Land Management – Supports native regeneration, reduces invasive species, and restores ecosystems through sustainable practices such as cultural burning, ecological restoration, and traditional harvesting methods. Integrating Indigenous food and medicine forests into farming practices promotes biodiversity, strengthens habitat corridors for native fauna, and revitalizes food sources like yams, finger limes, and other native plants, while helping reduce the spread of invasive species.

How This Helps:

Soil Health – Strengthens microbial communities that suppress weed growth.

Biodiversity – Supports beneficial insects, pollinators, and native plant species.

Food Sovereignty & Resilience – Provides sustainable, culturally significant food sources that support local communities.

Productivity – Reduces chemical dependence while improving land resilience and supporting long-term agricultural productivity.

Public Land & Naturalized Area Management

Managing invasives in conservation areas and public spaces requires careful, non-disruptive techniques to protect native ecosystems.

Targeted Grazing (Goats & Sheep) – Naturally suppresses invasive growth.

Soil Restoration & Mulching – Prevents weed regrowth by improving soil structure.

Revegetation with Indigenous Plants – Establishes strong native cover to resist invasion.

Brush Cutting & Slashing – Removes foliage before seeds form, limiting spread.

Biocontrol Methods – Uses approved insects or fungi to control specific invasive species without harming native plants.

Collaborate with Local Traditional Owners for Indigenous-Led Land Management – Supports native regeneration, reduces invasive species, and restores ecosystems through sustainable practices such as cultural burning, ecological restoration, and traditional harvesting methods.

How This Helps:

Restores native landscapes while avoiding chemical use.

Enhances habitat quality for wildlife.

Creates long-term ecosystem stability.

Private Land & Community-Led Action

Homeowners, landholders, and community groups play a crucial role in preventing the spread of invasives.

Hand Weeding & Digging – Best for small-scale control with minimal soil disturbance.

Selective Brush Cutting – Prevents seed set in aggressive species.

Harvesting – Using invasive and aggressive plants for food, medicine, and fibre.

Collaborate with Local Traditional Owners for Indigenous-Led Land Management – Supports native regeneration, reduces invasive species, and restores ecosystems through sustainable practices such as cultural burning, ecological restoration, and traditional harvesting methods.

Learn About Your Local Ecosystem – Understanding the specific species and ecosystems in your area is key to effective invasive control. Connect with resources like your local Aboriginal Land and Water Council, your local government council for species lists, and local native nurseries. Use online tools like NatureKit and the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas for species identification and management advice.

Promote Sustainable & Herbicide-Free Management – Prioritize manual removal, biological controls, and natural suppression methods to protect biodiversity and soil integrity. Support projects and farms that implement herbicide-free land management practices.

Start Conversations About Alternative Invasive Species Management – Engage with local communities, farmers, local government and land managers to explore innovative, non-chemical approaches to controlling invasive plants and animals. Look into methods such as rotational grazing, habitat restoration, and traditional Indigenous land care techniques.

Collaborative Monitoring & Early Detection – Prevents new outbreaks before they spread.

How This Helps:

Strengthens community engagement in conservation.

Prevents weed spread from gardens into native areas.

Encourages shared responsibility for land stewardship.

By integrating regenerative agriculture, public land management, and private stewardship—led by collaboration and Traditional Knowledge—we can move beyond short-term fixes and create resilient, thriving landscapes for future generations. This holistic approach encourages a deep, symbiotic relationship with the land, where ecological health and cultural preservation are intertwined. It emphasizes the importance of working alongside the natural rhythms of the environment, utilizing time-honored practices that have sustained ecosystems for millennia.

This collaborative effort goes beyond simply restoring the land—it's about revitalizing the knowledge systems that have safeguarded it for countless generations, ensuring that all species, including threatened and vulnerable ones, are managed in balance with the land.

This involves the careful, non-invasive management of species we consider pests. For invasive plants like Blackberry and Gorse, sustainable methods such as hand weeding, harvesting, slashing, and targeted removal are used to curb their spread without disrupting the natural balance. These practices focus on addressing the root causes of invasiveness while preserving native vegetation. When managing animal species like foxes and rabbits, the approach emphasizes sustainable practices that integrate traditional hunting values. Kangaroos and dingoes, beautiful native animals now deemed pests, should also be protected. Rather than resorting to mass culling, humane alternatives are promoted in line with totemic systems, ensuring that each species is cared for by an Indigenous community in harmony with the land and its cultural connections.

.As we restore cultural landscapes, we are not only revitalizing the land but also reaffirming the cultural connections that Indigenous communities hold with it. This restoration of both land and culture empowers local communities, fosters stewardship, and paves the way for a future where people and nature coexist in balance, honoring the sacred relationship Indigenous peoples have with the land and its creatures.

Ultimately, this model prioritizes long-term sustainability over immediate gains, fostering resilient ecosystems, thriving communities, and a healthy environment for generations to come. By embracing Traditional Knowledge and combining it with modern scientific approaches, we can forge a path toward ecological and cultural restoration that honors the past while building a stronger, more sustainable future.