Sesbania Pea, which includes Sesbania cannabina and Sesbania brachycarpa — both fast-growing leguminous weeds (or sometimes fodder species) in northern and eastern Australia. They can behave as invasive weeds in cropping, roadsides, and disturbed areas.
Sesbania cannabina – most common species
Sesbania brachycarpa – smaller, similar species
(Both belong to the Fabaceae family — legumes)
Sesbania pea
Daintree sesbania
Pea bush
Swamp pea
Yellow pea bush
(Sometimes confused with “rattlepods” like Crotalaria)
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Native/introduced | S. cannabina is native to northern Australia |
| Found in | QLD, NT, WA, NSW, sometimes SA |
| Typical habitats | Floodplains, wetlands, roadsides, disturbed soils, crop margins |
| Soil preference | Grows in moist, loamy or heavy soils — can tolerate temporary waterlogging |
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | Annual or short-lived perennial legume |
| Height | 0.5 to 3+ m tall depending on moisture |
| Leaves | Pinnate, fern-like with many small leaflets (like lucerne or mimosa) |
| Flowers | Bright yellow, pea-shaped, 1–3 per axil |
| Stems | Erect, often reddish or streaked |
| Seed pods | Long, thin pods (up to 20 cm) with many small hard seeds |
| Growth habit | Often grows in dense thickets, especially in wet seasons |
| Risk/Problem Area | Details |
|---|---|
| Crop competition | Can smother young cotton, sorghum, or vegetable crops in early growth |
| Seed bank | Produces thousands of hard-coated seeds → long-lived in soil |
| Noxious weed in areas | Declared invasive in some shires due to riparian invasion |
| Toxicity | Not highly toxic, but unpalatable when mature; seeds may contain anti-nutritional compounds |
| Agronomic confusion | Sometimes sown intentionally for green manure or fodder — not always desirable |
| Method | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mechanical removal | Effective when young; difficult once woody |
| Herbicides | Glyphosate, metsulfuron, 2,4-D – check timing and label |
| Pre-emergent | Imazethapyr or pendimethalin in suitable cropping systems |
| Fire | Can reduce seed load in dry-season burns |
| Pasture competition | Good ground cover (e.g. grasses) can suppress seedling emergence |
| Seed hygiene | Avoid contaminated hay, pasture seed, or machinery transfer |
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific names | Sesbania cannabina, Sesbania brachycarpa |
| Common names | Sesbania pea, swamp pea, daintree sesbania |
| Family | Fabaceae (legume family) |
| Lifecycle | Annual or short-lived perennial |
| Key ID features | Yellow pea-flowers, pinnate leaves, long thin seed pods |
| Weed status | Invasive in floodplains and crops |
| Control difficulty | Moderate – needs early intervention and seedbank management |
| Sesbania brachycarpa, Sesbania cannabina |
Sesbania Pea, which includes Sesbania cannabina and Sesbania brachycarpa — both fast-growing leguminous weeds (or sometimes fodder species) in northern and eastern Australia. They can behave as invasive weeds in cropping, roadsides, and disturbed areas.
Sesbania cannabina – most common species
Sesbania brachycarpa – smaller, similar species
(Both belong to the Fabaceae family — legumes)
Sesbania pea
Daintree sesbania
Pea bush
Swamp pea
Yellow pea bush
(Sometimes confused with “rattlepods” like Crotalaria)
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Native/introduced | S. cannabina is native to northern Australia |
| Found in | QLD, NT, WA, NSW, sometimes SA |
| Typical habitats | Floodplains, wetlands, roadsides, disturbed soils, crop margins |
| Soil preference | Grows in moist, loamy or heavy soils — can tolerate temporary waterlogging |
| Trait | Description |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | Annual or short-lived perennial legume |
| Height | 0.5 to 3+ m tall depending on moisture |
| Leaves | Pinnate, fern-like with many small leaflets (like lucerne or mimosa) |
| Flowers | Bright yellow, pea-shaped, 1–3 per axil |
| Stems | Erect, often reddish or streaked |
| Seed pods | Long, thin pods (up to 20 cm) with many small hard seeds |
| Growth habit | Often grows in dense thickets, especially in wet seasons |
| Risk/Problem Area | Details |
|---|---|
| Crop competition | Can smother young cotton, sorghum, or vegetable crops in early growth |
| Seed bank | Produces thousands of hard-coated seeds → long-lived in soil |
| Noxious weed in areas | Declared invasive in some shires due to riparian invasion |
| Toxicity | Not highly toxic, but unpalatable when mature; seeds may contain anti-nutritional compounds |
| Agronomic confusion | Sometimes sown intentionally for green manure or fodder — not always desirable |
| Method | Notes |
|---|---|
| Mechanical removal | Effective when young; difficult once woody |
| Herbicides | Glyphosate, metsulfuron, 2,4-D – check timing and label |
| Pre-emergent | Imazethapyr or pendimethalin in suitable cropping systems |
| Fire | Can reduce seed load in dry-season burns |
| Pasture competition | Good ground cover (e.g. grasses) can suppress seedling emergence |
| Seed hygiene | Avoid contaminated hay, pasture seed, or machinery transfer |
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Scientific names | Sesbania cannabina, Sesbania brachycarpa |
| Common names | Sesbania pea, swamp pea, daintree sesbania |
| Family | Fabaceae (legume family) |
| Lifecycle | Annual or short-lived perennial |
| Key ID features | Yellow pea-flowers, pinnate leaves, long thin seed pods |
| Weed status | Invasive in floodplains and crops |
| Control difficulty | Moderate – needs early intervention and seedbank management |
