Exotic plant escapees on the loose in Hawks Nest Myall Coast Myall Coast by News Of The Area - Modern Media - July 6, 2022 The Bitou Busters. EXOTIC plants that escape from people’s gardens continue to cause huge problems in the Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest area. Typical of these invasive species is the agave americana, a species native in the Americas that can be bought from nurseries in Australia as decorative garden plants. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au They are tough plants and easy to grow. The agave has thick, sap-filled leaves whose edges are lined with sharp, needle-like spikes dangerous to humans and native creatures. They are especially hard to eradicate, as some twenty volunteers of the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens Bitou Busters found while trying to clear them from the dunes along The Boulevarde at Winda Woppa. Wearing safety glasses, overalls, boots and thick gloves, they battled for two hours to remove dozens of agave plants and load them into two utes to be safely disposed of at the council tip. Some of the plants were so deeply rooted the volunteers needed ropes tied to their 4WDs to drag them out, careful not to get injured by the spikes. Agave sap can cause contact dermatitis. Weeds compete with native plant species for nutrients, water, sunlight and space. They form dense areas of vegetation that shade and smother natives, destroying habitat for native animals and harming our unique fauna. A weed is simply a plant that is growing in a place where it is not wanted. 65 percent of weeds invading bushland were from urban gardens. Once established these weeds are difficult and expensive to control. Already here are succulents, assorted daisies, orchids, bitou bush, mother-of-millions, morning glory, polygala, E. cassia and asparagus fern which are all found on the dunes along The Boulevarde. Plant expert Sharon Taylor, who is one of the Bitou Busters’ organisers, advised, “Keep garden plants in the garden and out of the bush. “Dispose of garden waste in council green bins. “If you are a gardener and keen to beautify this area, you could join Bitou Busters and learn about bush regeneration.” Dumping in bushland and reserves is illegal and can attract on-the-spot fines of up to $5,000. NEWS_escapees on the loose2 Agave in flower. NEWS_escapees on the loose5 Agave americana. NEWS_escapees on the loose3 Agave collapsed under the weight of the agave pups. NEWS_escapees on the loose4 A 4WD full of agave to be taken to the council tip.
