A thorn in the side: know your alien plants
The Northglen News and the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT) have collaborated to bring readers a series of articles on various alien invasive species.
IN the leafy suburbs of KwaZulu-Natal, the subject of alien invasive plants has raised the ire of many conservationists. Environmentalists regularly remind the public about the destructive vegetation and the impact they can have on our country’s biodiversity.
However, these aliens have, in recent months, become a thorn in the side of home owners, as new National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) regulations state that ‘the seller of any immovable property must, prior to the relevant sale agreement, notify the purchaser of the property in writing of the presence of listed invasive species on that property.’ This is according to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).
Home owners who are planning to sell will either have to hire an accredited invasive species practitioner or dust off their gardening books to catalogue these ‘blooming’ pests. Failure to comply could lead to hefty fines.
Now, the Northglen News and the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT) have collaborated to bring readers a series of articles on various alien invasive species.
We will be getting up close and personal with their identifying features, what makes them so troublesome in our backyards and how they can be eradicated.
Arundo donax or Spanish reed
FOR the first installment of the series, we will be exploring the Spanish reed, often referred to as the giant or bamboo reed. This grassy reed is is believed to have been introduced into South Africa around 1652 and was originally for use as ceiling or screen material. It is considered a category 1B plant.
The hardy pioneer species can be seen along the M4 highway and at the Crusaders Sports Club in Durban North. It occupies valuable habitat of the indigenous, because it, like most aliens, has the potential to germinate quickly and easily, said Bart Fokkens of DUCT.
What’s more, its root system, which resembles ginger, can grow significantly large, preventing any other vegetation from growing in the vicinity.
The only way to remove the Spanish reed is by cutting it down, ploughing or digging up the roots or using herbicides.
For landscaping purposes, the following indigenous plants can be used instead of the Spanish reed: Miscanthus capensis (east-coast broom grass), Phragmites australis (common reed) or Typha capensis (bulrush).
Fokkens emphasised that not all aliens are always bad for the environment. Some can be used to protect indigenous plants, for example, there are six eucoluptus trees that are listed as alien invasive plants, but they can play an important part in maintaining a healthy bee population. If there are no bees, then other plants wont be pollinated, which means crops won’t grow and indigenous plants cannot shed their seeds.
Category 1A: Invasive species requiring compulsory control. Any specimens of category 1A listed species need, by law, to be eradicated from the environment. No permits will be issued.
Category 1B: Invasive species requiring compulsory control as part of an invasive species control programme. These plants are deemed to have such a high invasive potential that infestations can qualify to be placed under a government sponsored invasive species management programme. No permits will be issued.
Category 2: Invasive species regulated by area. A demarcation permit is required to import, possess, grow, breed, move, sell, buy or accept as a gift any plants listed as category 2 plants.
Category 3: Invasive species regulated by activity. An individual plant permit is required to undertake any of the following restricted activities – import, possess, grow, breed, move, sell, buy or accept as a gift – involving a category 3 species. No permits will be issued for category 3 plants to exist in riparian zones.
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