Aussie homeowners warned over hidden danger of common but 'invasive' backyard plant
Golden cane palms have long been a popular feature in Aussie yards, particularly in Queensland but green thumbs and pest controllers alike are warning about the costly drawbacks to the species.
The Invasive Species Council of Australia has been campaigning hard in recent months about the scourge of invasive plants — including those sold at Bunnings — both for their impacts on gardens as well as Australia's broader landscape.
While native to Madagascar, golden cane palms (Dypsis lutescens) are commonly found in Aussie gardens but are considered invasive in some areas due to their aggressive growth, disruptive fibrous root systems and ability to outcompete native vegetation. Despite that, they've long been a bit of a favourite around pools and provide shade and privacy near bedrooms.
But experts warn they can lead to costly and unforeseen issues, including "aiding and abetting" termites.
Termites can be attracted to palms, often nesting in the base of the tree, Brisbane-based pest controller Michael Brewer told Yahoo News Australia. And their disruptive roots can even become highways into your home if planted nearby.
"Their roots are quite invasive, and if there's an existing termite treatment in the soil against the wall of a house, it can compromise that treatment... over time, the roots can grow through and move the soil around and create little paths where the termites can get through," he explained.
The invasive roots can cause cracks in foundations and open up gaps for termites to exploit, while also making it difficult for pest controllers to apply chemical deterrents in the soil around the home.
"We find it difficult because when we're doing the treatments, it's very hard to dig because [the roots] are a thick matting," he said.
"People spend thousands of dollars on these treatments, and the roots could compromise that – it's something that might unknowingly cost them money... In some ways it's very similar to cracked pavers, it's an expense you don't realise as it's happening."
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🏡 Aussie man locked in $100k battle with council over tree complaint
🌸 Warning to remove 'pretty but invasive' plant taking over Aussie gardens
Michael, who is the director at Termite Guys in Brisbane, attended a property in recent weeks that had a large termite nest at the base of a golden palm tree. He shared a photo (seen above) with Yahoo of the sizeable nest.
While palms can be great in certain areas of the garden, they can disrupt things like retaining walls and footpaths.
"We do see some cracking in things like retaining walls that are caused by, well, all palms really," Michael said.
One Brisbane homeowner found that out the hard way earlier this year when her golden cane palms ended up costing her $15,000 when they dislodged paving around her pool.
"If I had done the original landscaping ... I would never have planted palm trees," she told Yahoo.
Golden cane palms can be bought at Bunnings for about $30, but one Brisbane gardener has urged Aussies to think twice before buying them.
"Bunnings sell these plants by the container full," he said in a recent video that heavily criticised the "rubbish" plant, and has been watched more than 100,000 times on TikTok.
He warned they can take over your garden when not maintained, and will continually drop fronds. Plenty of Aussies seemed to share his distaste in the comments, with one gardener referring to them as the "devil's plant".
"I bought three palms for $45, and 20 years later it costs $2,500 to get them removed," one person said.
"My dad planted a tonne of these around the boundaries of all of his properties, they were $2 a plant in the 90's...that's how we spent our weekends, a never ending cycle of cleaning and burning the fronds ... Not to mention the cockroaches that bred in them as well," another person commented.
Others, however, said they were fine plants when kept in pots.
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Aussie woman searches for answers after puzzling encounter on famous beach
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Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The hardware is durable, attractive, and sturdy. Gardener's Supply Company's signature black powder-coated aluminum corners are easy to install and exceptionally strong. After you slide the cedar boards into the corners, making sure they're fully seated and level with the bottoms of the corners, you secure them with the provided screws. None of the screws are visible from the outside, and that lends elegant appeal. During testing, this bed was placed on a slightly uneven surface, and after three weeks, all four corners were still perfectly square; this was not the case with the other two wooden beds in the test. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter Assembly is fairly easy, but the box is huge and heavy. The instructions for the Gardener's Supply bed were on a single piece of paper, and it took some deciphering to figure out the process. But once I laid out all of the boards and hardware, this bed came together quickly: I assembled it in about 40 minutes. Assembly required using a drill and a rubber mallet, and Gardener's Supply provided a buffer of six extra screws. Because some of the boards are 8 feet long, this kit was shipped in a very large box, which took two people to carry. It's the ideal size for a beginner home garden. The 4-by-8-foot model is the perfect size for most home gardens because it can support a large amount of several types of vegetables. Gardeners generally agree that when a bed is wider than 4 feet, it's difficult to access the center. If you're planning on gardening with small children (or you have a petite yard), and you want something that provides even easier access, consider buying this bed in the 2-foot-wide or 3-foot-wide version. This bed is just under 15 inches tall, and this is an ideal height for shallow-rooted plants, like lettuce and herbs, but it can also accommodate some medium-rooted vegetables, including tomatoes and eggplant. 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Key Specs Materials: untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws Dimensions: 48 by 96 by 14.75 inches 48 by 96 by 14.75 inches Soil requirements: 40 cubic feet Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The Gardener's Supply Company Elevated Cedar Planter Box is basically a smaller, elevated version of the Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed. This bed is a great option for those who struggle to bend or kneel, and it provides excellent drainage, but the extra-shallow planting depth limits the variety of plants you can successfully grow. It's simple to put together. Gardener's Supply Company provides comprehensive instructions for assembling this elevated bed, compared with the rather spare instructions that come with its Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed. This bed's instructions contain detailed images for each step of assembly. And the two end panels come preassembled, which is a nice, labor-saving gesture. The bed came together in just under 45 minutes, and assembly required only a drill and a rubber mallet. The hardware, lumber, end panels, and floor planks fit together precisely, making my job easy. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter This bed adds beauty to your outdoor space. The planting box is elevated in more ways than one: It stands 29 inches high, and it has a simple, elegant look that will complement most outdoor decor and furniture. The cedar boards, which are rough on one side and finished on the other, eventually fade to a silvery-gray, and the rust-proof, powder-coated aluminum hardware is built to withstand the elements. So this bed's aesthetic appeal will only improve with age. And because it adds some height to a garden, this bed also looks great alongside other, lower raised beds. It's remarkably durable and provides optimal drainage. In 2019, editor Hannah Morrill placed four of these beds on her porch in Portland, Maine. The beds have since survived six winters, with very little wear and tear. 'They have faded to gray like all cedar does, but the integrity of the wood remains the same,' she told me. The elevated cedar planting box that I assembled at the elementary school was placed on a relatively uneven woodchip pathway. Yet the aluminum corners are so sturdy that the box shows zero signs of strain, despite its unbalanced footing. And because this bed is raised above the ground, it has built-in drainage, which will help preserve the cedar boards for even longer. Flaws but not dealbreakers The planting depth is shallow. Although the Gardener's Supply Company Elevated Cedar Planter Box is 15 inches tall, its planting depth is only 10 inches. That's a fine depth for growing shallow-rooted vegetables, like herbs, lettuces, radishes, and strawberries, but it's less ideal for medium- or deep-rooted vegetables, like tomatoes, kale, and eggplant. It's possible to grow some of these plants in shallow soil, but you should probably offer them extra support, to compensate for their cramped roots. This bed requires potting soil, which costs more than garden soil. Gardener's Supply Company says you must fill this planter with potting soil (not garden soil) because it drains well and resists compaction. So this box is ideal for container gardens that are not integrated with the ground. But potting soil increases the cost: One cubic foot of organic potting mix is about $20, whereas the same amount of organic garden soil costs about $12. Soil can fall through the planks. The six floor planks, which nestle neatly into the frame, are spaced to allow for proper drainage. Unfortunately, the spaces also allow lots of soil to fall through. So before I filled the bed, I lined the planks with landscaping cloth. Key specs Materials: untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws untreated cedar boards, powder-coated aluminum corners, stainless steel Phillips screws Dimensions: 23.5 by 48 by 29 inches; soil depth of 10.5 inches 23.5 by 48 by 29 inches; soil depth of 10.5 inches Soil requirements: 6 cubic feet of potting soil Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The Birdies Large Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit is another excellent metal raised bed. Inspired by Australian farmers who repurposed old metal water tanks as garden beds, Birdies introduced its ultra-durable corrugated metal raised bed kits in 2009. This bed is also very easy to assemble. Similar to the time it took to build the Vego Garden 17" Tall 10 In 1 Jumbo Modular Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit, this bed took about an hour to assemble. The instructions were fairly clear, with helpful illustrations, and this kit had only 62 bolts and nuts to screw in, compared with the Vego Garden bed's 72 fastener sets. I used a drill to speed up the tightening process. The metal panels were covered in plastic, which had to be peeled off before assembly, but it was only on one side (unlike the Vego Garden bed's panels, which had plastic on both sides). Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter Wire bracing offered extra support, which certain dimensions require, and it was easy to install. Like the Vego Garden bed, this bed also arrived in a surprisingly compact box. But the Birdies box was sealed without tape, so it was easy to break down and use as a bed liner, in lieu of landscaping fabric. (And just like the Vego Garden bed, the Birdies bed has no bottom.) The metal panels are exceptionally durable and likely to last decades. Birdies garden beds are made with long-lasting and reflective ZAM coated steel, which, like Vego Garden's VZ 2.0, is galvanized steel substrate coated in zinc, aluminum and magnesium. Because Birdies has been around since 2009, there is online proof that the beds last. This YouTube video offers a detailed explanation of the state of one person's Birdies bed after 12 years of use. (Spoiler alert: It's in great shape, with the exception of some wear on the plastic cap lining the top edge of the bed.) Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter It's modular and versatile. Like the Vego Garden bed, this bed can be assembled in five different configurations. I went with the 4-by-8-foot version. It comes in only two heights, though, and four colors. But this bed essentially offers the same level of adaptability. If you go with a 2-, 3-, or 4-foot-wide configuration, you'll want to install the included wire support braces. The price is competitive with those of other metal beds. This garden bed's price is comparable to that of the Vego Garden bed, and just like the Vego bed, this one is frequently on sale. Epic Gardening (the company that sells Birdies beds to the US market) offers free shipping for orders over $79. Some gardeners appreciate its manufacturing origin. Birdies initially introduced its product to Australian gardeners and has since expanded globally. Its beds continue to be manufactured in Australia, with Australian steel. This distinction is meaningful to some gardeners, especially as a subtle contrast with the Vego bed, which is made in China. Flaws but not dealbreakers As with the Vego Garden bed, this bed's soil is consistently warmer than soil in wooden beds. I tested this bed and the Vego Garden bed in their versions of light green, and the soil in both beds was about five to seven degrees warmer than soil in wooden beds. Opt for the 'Light Clay' paint color if you live in a hot climate and are concerned about too-hot soil, or go with a wooden option instead. This bed is only offered in two heights. Just like with the Gardener's Supply Co. Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed, this bed's 15 inches of soil depth limits the variety of plants you can successfully grow. You can opt for the 29-inch deep version of this bed, but it requires almost twice the amount of soil. I preferred the Vego Garden's 17-inch depth—those two inches can make a meaningful difference to plants like tomatoes or peppers. The protruding bolt ends are ever-so-slightly treacherous. I wish the Birdies bed had cap nuts to cover the protruding bolts on the top two rows of the interior of the bed, like the Vego Garden bed has. The unprotected bolt tips can scrape against your hands as you weed and plant. Key Specs Materials: metal alloy panels, stainless steel hardware and bracing, plastic safety edging metal alloy panels, stainless steel hardware and bracing, plastic safety edging Dimensions: 95.5 by 47.25 by 15 inches 95.5 by 47.25 by 15 inches Soil requirements: 40 cubic feet Jessica Bell/NYT Wirecutter Many gardeners, including some at Wirecutter, recommend Oldcastle Planter Wall Blocks as a customizable option for raised garden beds. The square cement blocks are notched on all four sides, allowing for modular construction. If you don't own a drill, but you're interested in making a custom bed, these blocks will work well. But these beds take more work to build, and they won't save you much money. Assembly is incredibly fast. Once you've unloaded and laid out your blocks and lumber, it takes about five minutes to put together a 4-by-8-foot garden bed. You simply slide the lumber into the notched ends, stacking lumber and blocks as needed. (The blocks are 7.5 inches high, so each block can accommodate one 2-by-6 board. For a 12-inch-deep bed, you'll need eight blocks total, with two stacked at each corner.) You don't need a drill. Our other picks require a drill for assembly. If that's an obstacle for you, this option skips that step. The blocks are inexpensive (but don't forget the lumber). These blocks are around $4 each, so I spent around $37 on eight blocks, including delivery. However, if you buy good lumber, the total cost goes up considerably. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter Due to their modular nature, these blocks are endlessly customizable. Maybe you're chasing a specific patch of direct sun in your yard, or maybe you want to maximize a small space. Or perhaps you find squares and rectangles boring. With the Oldcastle Planter Wall Blocks, you can build L-shaped beds, U-shaped beds, and elegant tiered beds. You can also start with a small bed, perhaps a 4-by-4-foot model, and then add onto it later, by sliding lumber into open notches on the existing blocks and purchasing more blocks as needed. (Be warned: One successful growing season will likely generate an irrational desire to expand your garden during subsequent seasons.) Flaws but not dealbreakers The notches require specific lumber. Because the notches in the Oldcastle Planter Wall Blocks measure 1⅝ inches, they can fit only finished 2-by-6 boards. (A finished 2-by-6 board actually measures 1.5 by 5.5 inches: Its nominal dimension — '2-by-6,' in this case — refers to the size of the board before it was dried and planed.) This isn't an issue if you plan to use commonly available stock lumber, such as pine or fir. This bed costs more money to build than similar premade kit options. If you opt for inexpensive lumber, such as pine or fir, and you stop at 12 inches of soil depth, you could build this DIY option for just over $100. That's not a good value, though, since those types of wood have much shorter lifespans than the kind of cedar that distinguishes the other raised-bed kits. Home Depot or Lowe's didn't have any cedar in stock when I needed it, so I went to a local lumber yard. That place had inexpensive, rough-cut cedar, but only in 1-by-6 dimensions, so I had to go with finished 2-by-6 cedar that would fit in the notches. For a 4-by-8-foot bed with a foot of depth, I needed 48 feet of finished cedar, which cost around $390. In total, this bed ended up costing more than the Gardener's Supply Company Deep Root Cedar Raised Bed. If you're interested in using long-lasting cedar, the Gardener's Supply Company bed is a better deal. But to get a custom-size bed to fit your space, this DIY option might be worth the cost. A level surface is more necessary here than with other options. Our other picks could handle slight imperfections in grade. But with this method, those can show through, pushing the pieces out of alignment. To keep things looking square, reinforcements such as rebar (which slides into the holes in the blocks) and concrete adhesive are options to consider. Key specs Materials: concrete blocks and lumber, plus optional rebar and concrete adhesive concrete blocks and lumber, plus optional rebar and concrete adhesive Dimensions: 54 by 102 by 11 inches 54 by 102 by 11 inches Soil requirements: about 50 cubic feet The Greenes Fence Co Original Cedar Raised Garden Bed arrived in a compact, lightweight box and was remarkably easy to put together, employing clever dovetail joints in lieu of hardware. But some of the unfinished cedar boards were quite bowed, and others were cracked or splintered. The 4-foot-long, 3.5-inch-wide boards were only 5/8 of an inch thick, which made them the thinnest lumber in the test. In theory, this means they're less durable than beds made with thicker lumber. The lack of hardware contributed to the ease of assembly, but it also meant that the boards didn't feel secure in the corner posts. The Landguard Galvanized Raised Bed Garden Kit is very inexpensive, and it's just as easy to assemble as the other high-quality metal beds. But it doesn't have plastic safety edging, so the sharp corners of its metal panels may pose a slight risk to gardeners. And rather than employing a more corrosive-resistant metal, like Aluzinc, it uses galvanized steel, which is cheaper but less durable. The Outdoor Living Today 6x3 Raised Garden Bed was intriguing for its finished red cedar boards and enticing accessories. But its dimensions are less than ideal: At 33.5 inches high, it requires a lot of soil, even though it measures only 6 feet by 3 feet. Plus accessories like a deer-proof fence and trellis or a greenhouse cover will drive up the already-high price. This article was edited by Harry Sawyers, Kyle Fitzgerald, and Jason Chen. Mike Friedland, Owner, Lumbery, email interview, June 6, 2025 Caleb Goossen, Organic Crop and Conservation Specialist, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, phone interview, June 13, 2025
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- Yahoo
Yellow Patches On Your Grass? We've Got Grim Gardening News For You
Having a garden is a beautiful thing, isn't it? It's linked to better physical and mental health, it can smell amazing and, if managed correctly, it looks beautiful too. But like all of life's joys, the perfect lawn comes at a cost. From pesky pests to dodgy weather, it feels like a gardener's work is never done – and now, gardeners are being asked to check for signs of the (visually unfortunate) chafer grub in their backyard. Steve Taylor from GreenThumb recently told WalesOnline that 'the next two months are key periods for the larvae and failure to stop their attack on your lush grass could lead to your lawn needing expert care to revive it'. Here's how to check for the grub – and what to do about it once you've seen it. Some chafer grubs are harmless Chafer bugs aren't a single species – the term refers to about 80 different varieties in the UK. While some species of chafer grub are completely harmless and only feast on dung or compost, others like nothing more than chowing down on your most verdant grass. 'Chafer grubs can be found in the soil under the loose turf. They have stout white bodies curved in a C shape, light brown heads, with three pairs of legs at the head end. They are bigger than the adult beetles and, if straightened out, can be up to 18mm (almost ¾in) long,' the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says. Their damage is most visible in autumn and spring, as this is when larvae are most lively. 'The weather conditions are set to be perfect for the... pests to thrive in and failure to deal with these destructive bugs can lead to the demise of gardens,' Taylor told WalesOnline. How can they affect my garden? Some species of the beetle – only those found in turf – can damage your grass by eating the roots. This leads to patches of paler, discoloured grass that can appear yellow. The grubs can have an unwanted side-effect on your turf, too – 'Birds, particularly of the crow family (jays, magpies, rooks and crows), badgers and foxes tear up turf in order to access the grubs to feed on them,' shared the RHS. Oh, lovely. So how can I get rid of them? The RHS recommends buying pathogenic nematodes, usually Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, via mail order and letting 'em loose on the affected area. They are a biological control so will not damage your soil or plants. If you apply them in winter, the soil will be too cold for the grubs to live anyway. 'As a preventive measure nematodes can be applied in July to September. Nematodes should be applied as soon as possible after purchase, following the suppliers' instructions. It may be necessary to water the lawn before and after application to ensure the soil is sufficiently moist for nematode activity and survival,' they say. 'There are no pesticide controls for chafer grubs in lawns which can be applied by home gardeners,' the RHS add. Related... Here's How To Grow A Rosemary Bush From Supermarket Sprigs This 1 Counter-Intuitive Hack Could Cause Your Roses To Flourish This Humane, Chemical-Free Slug Repellant is Probably Already In Your Kitchen
