Easter cassia (Senna pendula var. glabrata)
Easter cassia is native to tropical South America and was
widely cultivated as a garden ornamental. Unfortunately, it has become invasive
in eastern parts of Australia especially along the coast. It is a weed of waterways, gardens, disturbed sites, waste areas, roadsides,
closed forests, forest margins and urban bushland. It is a fast growing plant
that can suppress the growth of native species and displace them. It produces
large amounts of long-lived seeds.
Easter
cassia is an upright, spreading or sprawling shrub usually growing 2-4 m tall,
but occasionally reaching up to 5 m in height.
The compound leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, each leaf
is composed of three to six pairs of dark green leaflets with rounded tips. The
flowers are bright yellow (about 30 mm across) with five large petals (20-25 mm
long) which are clustered at the end of the stems.
Flowering occurs throughout
the year, but is most prevalent during autumn (i.e. at Easter time). Flowers
are followed by cylindrical pods (10-20 cm long and 6-12 mm wide) that hang
downwards, and contain the brown/black seeds. Pods turn from green to pale
brown in colour as they mature.
Grow Me Instead
Golden
honey myrtle, Melaleuca bracteata ‘Revolution Gold’ This beautiful golden foliaged Australian
native plant to 3m brings colour all year round. Requires free draining soil
and a sunny position but will accept light shaded areas.
Heath banksia, Banksia ericifolia Large orange flower heads , needle-like foliage and a dense growth habit make this a very useful banksia for the garden. It is bird attracting and flowers in autumn/winter.
