Kurnell Curse, also known as Pennywort, is the Common Name for this weed in Australia. Its Botanical Name is Hydrocotyle bonariensis, and it is commonly found in sandy soils along coastal areas.
This weed was first noticed around the coast of Venezuela on an island called Bonaria. This Australian weed is found in the coastal sand dunes and cliffs of Sydney. The weed’s thick and roundish waxy leaves provide the plant with protection from the coastal sea salt spray.
Kurnell Curse can be controlled by using non-selective herbicides like Roundup (or generically known as glyphosate). However, trying to paint each Kurnell Curse leaf is very laborious and you may inadvertently damage the desired turf grass.
Note: We have noticed that when we use Dicamba, the Active Constituent present in [Kleen Lawn], to target Broad Leaf Weeds in lawns there is also fatal collateral damage to Kurnell Curse. Having said that, Dicamba is not registered for use on Kurnell Curse.
Dicamba can be applied to all turf grasses except Buffalo turf (otherwise referred to as St Augustine turf in North America). Surfactants should be added to the herbicide mix to help the herbicide bond with the weed’s leaf surface.
Cultural or mechanical means of removing this weed are generally unsuccessful. Mechanical removal of the weed does not work well, and usually in most cases the weak leaf stem is snapped off leaving the underground stem in the ground. Generally it is a difficult plant to mechanically remove from the soil or turf.