3,000 WA landowners battle garden plant gone rogue across the South West
White arum lilies were banned from sale over 20 years ago. Now they spread across WA forests with no sign of slowing.
The arum lily is one of Australia's worst weeds, arriving as a garden plant but now spreading across WA's South West. The white flowers look beautiful but choke native plants and destroy the forest understorey.
Over 3,000 private landowners have asked for help to remove the weed from their land. A three-year government program is helping private land.
But volunteers worry the weed is growing worse on public land in national parks. The WA government says it cannot fully remove the weed.
It has spread too far and can grow back from parts in the soil. But the National Biosecurity Committee recently added arum lily to a priority weed list.
This could enable new control methods, including research into biological controls like fungal diseases.
- 3,000+
- Landowners seeking help
- 20+
- Years since sale banned
- 3 years
- Program duration
- 300km
- Distance of Boranup Forest south of
Why it mattersThe arum lily is destroying native forest ecosystems. Current control methods cannot keep up. Without stronger action on public land, the weed will keep spreading to private properties.
AustraliaWA forest owners and conservation groups are increasingly frustrated that the state is not matching private efforts to control the weed in national parks and state forests.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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