Re: Nyjer Guizotia abyssinica

[Isobel Crawford <>]

Dear Jodi,

As a botanist, I would be very reluctant to recommend the use of yet another daisy species which looks as if it would be an extraordinarily competent weed. Taxonomically, it is a sunflower rather than a thistle, so one of the common names is misleading. 

Planting local grass and other species (Geranium retrorsum and G. solanderi both attract Rosella species, as does Einadia nutans Climbing Saltbush etc.  …) would be an alternative to offerring the seed of introduced grass and other species. 

The excerpt below from https://www.ebirdseed.com/nyjer_niger_thistle_birdseed.html

suggests that the seed is deliberately ‘stopped’ in the USA to lessen the chance of it becoming a weed.

REVISED To protect our environment from any invasive weed seeds (like dodder seed) that may enter the country with the imported niger oilseed, all shipments are heat sterilized to prevent germination of these weeds. Very rarely, a fertile Nyjer seed may sprout a yellow flowering plant under their feeder and this is indeed Guizotia abyssinicia. This is not cause for worry as is won't last long; this seed does not grow well in any part of the United States. Simply remove the plant to prevent it from escaping and competing with our native plants.

I don’t know what the regs are in Australia, and don’t want to make time to research that now. If it is legally available, the stock food stores will have it.

Isobel Crawford


Australian Botanical Surveys,
POB 6031,
O'Connor ACT  2602.

02 6257 1860
0429 798 887

On 9 Feb 2016, at 10:03 AM, Jodi Shaw <> wrote:

Hi,

I just subscribed in order to ask one question about whether using Niger thistle ( or some other thistle) is allowed in Canberra and, if so, where it can be purchased.

I did not receive an answer, but am leaving to return to the US soon anyway and will let my daughter (who lives here) do the research.

Please unsubscribe me at this time.

Thank you,

Jodi Shaw

Sent from my iPad
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