Concern over spread of black jacks
Weed is becoming a sticky problem for some residents.
A resident of Flora Keys apartments on Orchid Street in Florida Park is unhappy and concerned about an infestation of the weed known as black jacks in the area.
The resident wanted to stay anonymous but was willing to pose for the Record in a mini-plantation of the alien weed that runs down the borders of Florida Park High School. Most of the plants are between 1,6m and 1,8m tall and have consumed the whole surface of the sidewalk. The plants also can be seen down Lelie Street.
This forces people walking their dogs to walk in the road and once a curious canine has gone among the plants to explore, it can mean a long, tedious task to remove the barbed awns of the plant that hook onto clothing and animals’ coats.
In South Africa the plant is also known in Afrikaans by the jolly sounding name of knapsekêrels and klitsgras.
The plant is considered a weed but interestingly enough it is a source of food and medicine in sub-Saharan Africa where the tender shoots and young leaves are used either fresh or dried as a leaf vegetable, particularly in times of scarcity.
The anonymous resident says that her unhappiness lies with the fact that she is convinced that the black jacks spread from the high school premises. She also says that the high school and City Parks remove the plant by mowing them down, which does not prevent the seeds, or the black jacks, from spreading elsewhere. According to her the correct way to eradicate the weeds is to pull them out.
To read the complete article and to find out from our resident plant expert what the correct way is to get rid of the weed, see the next edition of the Record.
