Rubber Bush (Calotropis procera)
Rubber bush
Rubber bush is declared a Class B (spread to be controlled – south of 16°30’S latitude) and Class C (not to be introduced to the Northern Territory) weed in accordance with the NT Weeds Management Act 2001.
- Rubber Bush Photo Identification Table (pdf 149Kb)
Rubber bush is native to tropical Africa and Asia. It was probably introduced to Australia as a garden plant, or in the packaging of camel saddles brought from India in the early 1900s. Rubber bush first became established in the Katherine area and then spread along the Roper River in the early 1950s. Rubber bush has now spread into Western Australia and through the Barkly Tablelands to Tennant Creek.
Rubber bush poses a significant risk to valuable grazing land in the NT. It has the potential to colonise large parts of the Barkly Tablelands and Victoria River District, where it competes with native pastures.
The plant contains several toxic compounds and may be poisonous to humans and stock. Dense thickets of rubber bush can form on disturbed and degraded soils, inhibiting access to watering points, bores and dams.
Rubber bush plant
