Native to southern Africa, African boxthorn is a spiny shrub introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s as a hedge plant. It has since spread to pastures, disturbed areas, roadsides, railways and waterways. African boxthorn produces dense, spiny thickets that can form impenetrable barriers to stock and people.

Within the Wide Bay Burnett, African boxthorn is restricted in distribution to North Burnett Regional Council and South Burnett Regional Council and is currently aimed for eradication under the Wide Bay Burnett Biosecurity Strategy 2017-2022.