The Motuihe Weed Control Strategy has been prepared for Motuihe Project by the Department of Conservation. It details a programme of weed control. There are now many weeds such as gorse, thistle, apple of sodom, and rhamnus, some of which are the subject of control programmes.

Invasive non native trees, vines and plants can completely destroy a conservation project by smothering native trees or by preventing native trees from establishing.

Motuihe Project volunteers have been working on controlling two of the most invasive weeds on Motuihe Island - rhamnus and moth plant.

Dow AgroSciences have donated herbicides Grazon and Tordon to help eliminate these weeds. These products have proved to be very effective on rhamnus and moth plant yet they has no effect on grasses and they are not particularly dangerous to use. Thick grasses prevent weeds from germinating and thus are a very useful tool in weed control work.

Below are photo examples of the targeted weeds on Motuihe.

Mothplant	Mothplant	Gorse	Apple of Sodom	Boneseed
Woolly Nightshade	Pampas	Hawthorn	Smilax	Rhamnus