Turfmate field notes · Weeds

Capeweed

Arctotheca calendula

A spreading rosette with yellow flowers and a dark centre.

Capeweed flowers and foliage.
Capeweed flowers and foliage.
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · source · CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed at reduced size; card crops fit the layout.

What to look for

  • A low rosette of broad, lobed leaves.
  • Daisy-like yellow flowers with a dark centre.
  • Leaves can show a paler underside.

Confirm it before you treat it

Yellow flowers alone are not enough. Catsear and dandelion look different at the centre of the flower and in leaf and stalk shape. Compare several features before matching a herbicide.

What to do next

  1. Remove young rosettes before flowering and seed return where practical.
  2. Improve grass cover after removal so the open patch does not become another seed bed.
  3. Check young plants after the autumn break and through cooler growth periods.
Seasonal watch

Conditions matter more than dates.

Cool-season germination and open turf favour establishment. Spring flowering makes established plants conspicuous.

Autumn and winter scouting can catch small plants before the spring display. Rainfall timing changes the window.

Explore your region & month ↗

Is every yellow lawn flower capeweed?

No. Check the dark flower centre, lobed rosette leaves and underside. Send us a close-up if those features do not agree.

Keep investigating

Similar problems. Different solutions.

Reviewed 10 October 2026 · Turfmate. Seasonal windows are indicative planning guidance, not measured outbreak or prevalence data.

Technical sources & image credits

Photos support identification and may have been taken outside Australia. Appearance varies with species, mowing and conditions. A Turfmate product link does not imply endorsement by a photographer or source.