Garden Escapes & Other Weeds in Bushland and Reserves a Responsible Gardening Guide for the Sydney Region
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Garden Escapes & Other Weeds in Bushland and Reserves A responsible gardening guide for the Sydney Region Sydney Weeds Committees Sydney Central Sydney South West Sydney North Sydney West – Blue Mountains C O N T E N T S General Information 3 Vines & Scramblers 6 Ground Covers 20 Bulbous & Succulent Weeds 34 Grass Weeds 51 Shrub Weeds 57 Tree Weeds 64 Water Weeds 74 Help Protect Your Local Environment 77 Common Plant Parts 78 Bibliography 79 Plant Me Instead 80 Index & Acknowledments 82 Reprinted 2012- Updated in 2018 Booklet adapted and reproduced with permission of Great Lakes Council The Problem What is a weed? Plants escape from gardens in a WEEDS are plants that don’t belong variety of ways, but one main cause where they are. They can include of spread from gardens is by green plants from other countries but are also waste dumping in bushland and road sometimes from other parts of Australia. reserves. This practice is harmful to the Weeds can be harmful to human and bush for many reasons, such as: animals. They also affect the ecology and appearance of bushland areas and s introducing weeds (plant fragments, waterways. bulbs, roots, tubers, seeds, spores) Weeds often grow faster than s smothering native plants native plants and out-compete them to become dominant in natural areas. The s changing the soil and ideal growing natural pests or diseases that would conditions for native plants otherwise control their growth are lacking s increasing fi re risk by increasing as the plants have been introduced from fuel loads. somewhere else. Dumping in bushlandbushland Weeds replace the native plants that aandnd reserves is illegal and can native creatures need for shelter, food and aattractttract fi nesnes.. nesting. If left uncontrolled they will, in most cases, destroy ecosystems and choke waterways. Plants may also spread into natural areas directly from gardens where they Some plants have such serious potential are planted. “Weedy” garden plants for damage to human health, agricultural may be identifi ed by: production or the environment that they are classifi ed as Weeds of National Signifi cance. s the ability to spread by vegetative Where a plant is listed as a WONS it will have means - bulbs, corms, tubers, root the symbol: parts, stem fragments (e.g. Madeira Vine, Glory Lily, Coral Tree, Trad) s berries that can be eaten by birds and animals (e.g. Chinese Celtis, Asparagus Fern, Cotoneasters, Olives, Camphor Laurel, Blackberry, Hawthorn) s the ability to produce large amounts of seeds that are easily distributed by wind, animals, water and can survive in the soil for a long time For more information (e.g. Formosa Lily, Longleaf Willow about weeds: Primrose, Balloon Vine, Moth Vine, Narrow Leaf Cotton Bush) www.sydneyweeds.org.au s s a general ability to survive under www.weeds.org.au extreme conditions, and s s a history of weediness in similar www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/ climates. pests-weeds/weeds General Information 3 General Manual weed control methods Herbicide use Weed control should be coordinated so Always read the label and Material Safety as to avoid seed setting, i.e. prior to, or Data Sheets before using herbicides. during fl owering time. Any section of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) must plant capable of reproducing (e.g. seeds, always be used when handling herbicides. fruits, tubers/roots, some shoots) should be Always wash hands after using chemicals. bagged, removed from the site and disposed of by deep burial at a waste management centre. Other vegetative matter can be mulched on Skirting (using secateurs and herbicide) site or taken to a waste management centre s #UTALLVINESLOWDOWNAROUNDTREES and disposed of in green waste. Personal s !PPLYHERBICIDE)--%$)!4%,9WITHIN Protective Equipment (PPE) must always be seconds of cutting) to ground cut stems fi rst, used when controlling weeds and working in then aerial stems. the garden. Always wash hands after working s #HECKFOR with weeds and exotic plants. reshooting within 6 weeks, treat Hand pull/dig method again where s 2AKEBACKLEAFLITTER necessary. s #UTDOWNALONGSIDEPLANT Note: NOT s 'RASPSTEMORLEAVESATGROUNDLEVELANDPULL suitable for vines fi rmly while loosening soil from roots with with aerial tubers knife/trowel. e.g. Madiera Vine. s 3HAKEEXCESSSOIL PPE: hat, nitrile from roots and bag gloves, long for removal or place sleeves/pants, plant on rock/log to die. boots, sunscreen and insect repellent. s 2EPLACELEAFLITTER PPE: hat, nitrile gloves, Stem scrape (using knife and herbicide) longsleeves/pants, boots, s 7ORKINGCLOSETOGROUND SCRAPEALONG sunscreen and insect repellent. THESTEMOFTHEPLANTFORABOUT CM Crown cut method to expose vascular tissue. s /NLYTHEUNDERGROUNDGROWINGHEARTOFTHE s !PPLYHERBICIDE plant needs to be removed. to exposed vascular s 2AKEBACKLEAFLITTER TISSUE)--%$)!4%,9 s 'RASPPLANTAT WITHINSECONDS ground level, of scraping). gathering stems s 4AKECARENOTTORING together, insert bark entire stem. knife and cut in a s ,EAVEPLANTin situ circular motion until completely to remove crown. dead, and re-treat s 2EPLACEDISTURBED if necessary. soil/leaf litter PPE: hat, nitrile and pat down gloves, long PPE: hat, nitrile gloves, long sleeves/pants, boots, sunscreen and insect sleeves/pants, boots, sunscreen repellent. and insect repellent. General Information General Herbicide use (cont.) Responsible Cut and Paint (using saw and herbicide) Gardening s .OTSUITABLEFORPLANTSWITHAERIALTUBERS s !PPROPRIATEONWOODYWEEDSUPTOCM 9OUCANMAKEADIFFERENCEBYWHAT basal stem diameter. you do in your garden. s #UTSTEMHORIZONTALLY We encourage you to: close to ground, below any branching stems or sREPLACE invasive plants in your side shoots. garden with safe and preferably s !PPLYHERBICIDETO native alternatives. cambium layer s2EGULARLYPRUNE your garden )--%$)!4%,9 WITHINSECONDSOFMAKINGCUT plants after fl owering. Not only PPE: hat, nitrile gloves, safety glasses, will this prevent seed set, it will long sleeves/pants, boots sunscreen and also promote healthy and insect repellent. vigorous growth. sDispose of garden waste Foliar spraying (knapsacks & pressure sprayers) RESPONSIBLY, never dump it s 4HEUSEOFHERBICIDE over the back fence, on roadsides diluted with water or in bushland. at a specifi c rate. sDispose of plant bulbs, tubers s -OSTSUITEDFOR use on certain and seed heads in your GENERAL shrubs, grasses WASTE bin not green waste. and dense vines. sCOVER your trailer when taking s &OLIAGESHOULDBE garden waste to landfi ll to stop sprayed until wet weeds and seeds from blowing but not dripping. s $ONOTMAKEUP off and invading roadsides and more dilute than required for the job and bushland areas. do not store diluted herbicide as it may sBuy a mulcher and MULCH breakdown and become inactive. garden waste (without seeds) s !LWAYSUSEFRESHCLEANWATERFORMIXING not ground or dam water as herbicide may on site, then use it in the garden breakdown and become inactive. or compost it! PPE: hat, nitrile gloves, safety glasses, long sleeves/pants, boots, respirator sunscreen and sActively REPORT any illegal insect repellent. dumping in your neighbourhood. sJOIN your local Bushcare group Various spraying regimes and herbicides are available for use on particular weeds. and help remove weeds from The Department of Primary Industries the public reserves and bushland has a weed control handbook that is areas in your neighbourhood. available online from http:// Contact your local Council to www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests- weeds/weeds. Also talk to the weeds or fi nd a Bushcare or environmental bushland offi cer at your local Council. volunteer group. General Information 5 General Vines & Scramblers Vines, scramblers or climbing plants can trail or creep along the ground but generally require the support of other plants to grow because their stems, in most cases, lack the central thickening which imparts rigour to trees and shrubs. Their stems are usually supple and can twist and contort in erratic convolutions without affecting the transport of water and nutrients that are essential to their survival. This category of plants includes some of the most damaging environmental weeds in the Sydney region. It is recommended that all species listed here be eradicated from gardens. It is impossible to estimate the number of species of plants in the world’s fl ora which have adopted the climbing growth habit. Botanists tend to categorise plants according to their fl oral features rather than growth habits and it is therefore diffi cult even to arrive at an estimate. Certainly the number is in the tens of thousands, and because climbers tend to be a neglected group of plants, it is almost certain that new weed species await discovery and description. The main weed species are featured in the following pages but below is a list of Other Problematic Vines & Scramblers Common Name Botanical Name !ERIAL9AM Dioscorea bulbifera Blackberry The group of Rubus fruticosa species (WoNS) Blue Trumpet Vine Thunbergia grandifl ora Bridal Creeper Asparagus asparagoides (see section about bulbous plants) Cape Honeysuckle Tecomaria capensis Climbing Cineraria Senecio tamoides Crabs Eye Creeper Abrus precatorius Cup and Saucer Vine Cobaea scandens Creeping Groundsel Senecio angulatus Dutchmans Pipe Aristolochia elegans English Ivy Hedera helix varieties Flame Vine Pyrostegia venusta Moon Flower Ipomoea alba Mysore Thorn Caesalpinia decapetala Pie Melon Citrullus lanatus Purple Morning Glory Ipomoea purpurea 2UBBER6INE Cryptostegia grandifl ora Silverleaf desmodium Desmodium uncinatum Siratro