White Eye (Richardia Brasiliensis) is an annual creeping weed, often growing up to 60cm wide and 10cm tall. It has a thick, white central taproot that can grow up to 45cm long and can be identified by its hairy, oval shaped leaves which are around 5cm long and its small white, star like flowers.
This species of Richardia is common across coastal and northern regions of Australia. It can be found commonly in high traffic areas such as roadsides, tracks, grassland, and otherwise in eucalypt forests and rainforests common to tropical Queensland.
As mentioned before it has a long taproot that can grow to by up to 45cm long. This makes hand pulling White Eye an unfavourable method of treatment as it is tricky to remove the entire taproot. If the taproot is not completely removed the plant will grow back.
The plant also produces masses of seeds that can continue to germinate for years, meaning that hand removal may not be as effective as chemical removal would be.
Homemade remedies such as salt and vinegar will burn back the leaves of this plant, but do not kill it, it can also seriously damage the turf surrounding the plant. Richardia doesn’t mind acidic soils, so the salt and vinegar method may actually help the weed grow back.
The best method is to chemically treat this plant. When using chemcial treatments make sure you are familiar with the lawn variety you have before selecting a herbicide. It is best to leave it to the professionals to prevent doing more harm than good. Get in contact with your local Coochie HydroGreen Lawn Care Technician to book in a free, no strings, 10 point assessment and quote today!