Help remove the weedy flowers, roots and all

22 Aug, 2022

Some flowers are not so pretty, and some are beautiful weeds. Large leaf bush pea (Pultenaea daphnoides) is a flowering shrub introduced to New Zealand as a garden plant years ago. Like many of the plants introduced early in New Zealand’s gardening history, it’s gone rogue. Now it is a real pest in some of the poorer soils of Northland, where it can add nitrogen to soils that don’t need it and completely change the native plant communities there.

The local Weed Action group is calling for volunteers to come and help ‘Remove the weedy flowers – roots and all’ from Marunui on the edge of the beautiful Piroa-Brynderwyns forest near Mangawhai. This event was planned last year, but was cancelled due to Covid restrictions.

“We are hoping to get at least ten people on each of two days to help with a morning in the bush, finding and controlling this weedy pest,” says Weed Action co-ordinator Ron Haynes. “Many of the plants will be seedlings but some may need a snip with secateurs or be sawn off and the stump treated with a little gel herbicide supplied.”

Ron invites keen, reasonably fit weeders to come and spend a useful morning (9am-1pm) in the bush with other eco weed warriors. There is a relatively steep 30-minute walk, followed by a few hours of weed work, the walk out and then a delicious lunch. Wear some sturdy footwear and bring along gloves, water, sunscreen, a hat and tools such as secateurs, a hand fork and/or a pruning saw if you have them.

n WHEN: Saturday Sept 10 and/or Sunday Sept 11. WHERE: Meet at the Tanekaha Tracks carpark, 300 King Road, 9am. REGO & INFO: John Hawley 027 262 7904.

Endemic to Australia, large-leaf bush pea has become a bit of a pest in New Zealand. PHOTO/SUPPLIED