Wednesday, March 5. 2008
Australian Weeds
There's been some big news in the Australian Weed business. A cactus has escaped and poses dangers to wildlife and cattle too.
It has been in all the papers in Australia. This is just one reasonable article describing the mess that can happen when people take a pretty and/or functional ornamental plant into a new territory where it has no natural barriers to growth, and then it takes off causing problems far and wide. Even a cactus. A delicious cactus.
Department of Primary Industries (DPI&F) Biosecurity Queensland land protection officer, Jodie Sippel, said the Hudson pear cactus, a native of Mexico, has been found growing in Mundubbera Shire with a potential second site in the Monto area.
“Hudson pear (Cylindropuntia rosea), is declared a Class 1 weed, which means it must be eradicated,” she said.
“It is highly invasive and spreads whenever an animal, vehicle or person brushes against it and dislodges plant segments that take root on contact with the ground.
“The spines from Hudson pear pose a serious threat to people, horses, dogs, cattle, sheep and most wildlife....
Hudson pear was first detected in Australia, in NSW, in the 1960s.
According to some reports, its spread was aided by opal miners who deliberately grew them around their diggings to keep prowlers and thieves away.
“Hudson pear (Cylindropuntia rosea), is declared a Class 1 weed, which means it must be eradicated,” she said.
“It is highly invasive and spreads whenever an animal, vehicle or person brushes against it and dislodges plant segments that take root on contact with the ground.
“The spines from Hudson pear pose a serious threat to people, horses, dogs, cattle, sheep and most wildlife....
Hudson pear was first detected in Australia, in NSW, in the 1960s.
According to some reports, its spread was aided by opal miners who deliberately grew them around their diggings to keep prowlers and thieves away.
It has been in all the papers in Australia. This is just one reasonable article describing the mess that can happen when people take a pretty and/or functional ornamental plant into a new territory where it has no natural barriers to growth, and then it takes off causing problems far and wide. Even a cactus. A delicious cactus.
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