Latest news with #BotanicGardensofSydney
Sydney Morning Herald
08-07-2025
- Science
- Sydney Morning Herald
Lovely trees at risk to deadly borer the west could not stop
The term existential threat sits oddly with Sydney's Moreton Bay and Port Jackson figs and the many other species of trees that give life, shade, tranquillity and beauty to our city, suburbs and state, but that is precisely the catastrophe posed by an exotic tunnelling beetle. The shot-hole borer, an eat-everything form of ambrosia beetle from South-East Asia, is highly invasive and attacks and infects more than 500 plant species around the world. The borer burrows into a healthy tree trunk and creates a maze of tunnels into which it deposits fungal spores that grow to form the beetle's food source. Left unchecked, the fungus clogs up the tree's vascular system, progressively killing the plant. The insect has invaded California, Israel and South and now has a foothold in Australia. In 2021, the borer's discovery in box elder maple trees in a Perth backyard triggered Western Australia's largest and most complex biosecurity response, with 2.6 million trees inspected and 4500 cut down. But the west failed to eradicate the beetle and now, as a consequence, the eastern states must steel themselves for invasion. The borer has tiny wings that allow it to fly short distances, but it can hitch a ride on garden waste, firewood or chipped mulch – it is not difficult to image campers crossing the Nullarbor and heading to Sydney with a load of infected firewood. In addition, the female beetle has a deadly advantage – she can produce offspring without a mate and start a whole new colony on her own. Loading Plant pathologist and chief scientist of the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, Professor Brett Summerell, has sounded the alarm over the urgent biosecurity threat the beetle poses to Sydney's trees and the native species in the warm coastal forests of the NSW. 'I was just starting to do the numbers, and thinking about how much impact this could have if it got here was just absolutely devastating,' he said. 'We have a lot of heritage figs in the botanic gardens, Centennial Park, Hyde Park, pretty much in every major park and garden within Sydney is heavily populated with fig trees, which seem to be extremely susceptible to the beetle.' As are plane trees, box elder maples, ash, elms and oak and fruit trees, including mango, macadamia, avocado and apple. Since European settlement, Australia has been a home away from home for invasive animal and plant species. The newcomers brought cats, pigs, goats, foxes, cattle, buffalo, camels, cane toads and, most notoriously, rabbits, blackberries, lantana and prickly pear. Red fire ants, native to South America and potential killers, were discovered in northern NSW in January 2024 in turf brought in from Queensland.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Woman's 'strange' find sprouting from backyard lawn: 'Smells awful'
An Aussie woman is in awe after stumbling upon an 'amazing' discovery in her backyard. The local, who has lived at the property on the NSW Mid North Coast for 'many years', said she was pottering around her home last week when she spotted an 'unusual' and pungent growth sprouting from the grass. 'This amazing bridal veil stinkhorn fungus popped up overnight on my back lawn,' she posted online alongside a photo of the bell-shaped brown and white organism in her Old Bar garden. In all her time living in the area, the woman said she had 'never seen one before'. And it turns out she's not the only local to come across the bizarre looking species, with one person claiming they 'saw a bunch of them' recently. 'They are popping up all over the place, very strange,' another added. 'I've had about five so far. Very unusual things aren't they?' someone else said. Others mentioned the fungi's strong smell, noting the blowflies seemed to 'love it'. 🌱 Warning as 'extremely dangerous' growths appear in gardens 🪵 Mysterious find growing in forest concerns Aussies 🩸 Bizarre backyard find dripping 'blood' stumps locals The bridal veil stinkhorn features a delicate lacy 'skirt' and can be found growing in woodlands and gardens on Australia's east coast, and some parts of the Northern Territory. 'They very much come up in response to rain — so the conditions over the past couple of weeks have been ideal, and there are lots of different species of fungi appearing all over the north coast,' Professor Brett Summerell, chief scientist at the Botanic Gardens of Sydney, told Yahoo News Australia. 'They hatch from egg shaped structures underground in the soil, will be present for a few days and then just as quickly disintegrate and return to the soil. They are important for the ecosystem as they help break down organic matter and return the nutrients to the soil.' Professor Summerell described the species' smell as 'awful' yet very effective at attracting flies to spread the spores, 'which they do very effectively'. The scent is often likened to rotting meat or sewage. 'They don't appear to be poisonous — but who or what would eat them — dogs sometimes like to rub against them because of the smell! But no harm seems to happen.' The numerous stinkhorn species come in various shapes but all produce the smelly brownish slime. Previously, a lantern stinkhorn fungus shaped like a tongue was found in a Queensland woman's yard, leaving other Aussies 'creeped out'. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gardeners share bizarre microwave act as pest ravages Aussie backyards
Invasive pests aren't the first thing you think of putting in the microwave but that's exactly what some Aussie gardeners have been doing this week, in a rather peculiar yet growing trend to tackle the problem. A photo of what looks like green peas or curled up leaves was shared online by one woman overnight with the resident, who lives in Perth's northeast suburb Duncraig, joking that it was a pleasant day "when the beautiful aroma of microwaved gall wasp fills your home". Gall wasps are a native Aussie insect that originate from northern NSW and Queensland but are now established in many Perth suburbs after successfully spreading across the country, with the pest renowned for their ability to spread quickly and easily. "I have done the same yesterday," one local responded after the photo was shared in a gardening group. "Same!" another said, sharing their own proof of their microwave remedy. Gall wasps lay their eggs in new shoots of citrus trees, and the tree develops distinctive galls that help the larvae grow before adult wasps emerge. The process negatively impacts the tree's health and its fruit. "These wasps can reduce fruit production and can make citrus trees quite sick," Professor Brett Summerell, Chief Scientist at Botanic Gardens of Sydney previously told Yahoo News. Pruning is a suitable control method to sustain the tree but burning can be another way to mitigate any risk of spread from the the wasp-infected offcuts — and this is where the microwave comes in. It's a method another Perth resident opted for last year when he "nuked [the offcuts] in the microwave" for five minutes to ensure the pests didn't spread anywhere else in his garden. If left untreated, the galls created to house the larvae on the tree can disrupt nutrient and water flow which weakens the tree and, subsequently, fruit production. While there is logic to the burning of offshoots in the microwave, it's not a recommended control method for gall wasps. Instead, WA's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development suggest pruning out the new galls before winter and offshoots can be put in green waste or general rubbish bins as the larvae inside the galls will not survive at that time of year once removed from the tree. 😷 Residents urged to act now as 'millions' of pests threaten to take over 🔥 The quiet catastrophe unfolding in outback Australia 🌱 Aussies warned over garden pest that can 'never be fully removed' The timing of fertilising trees can also hinder or exacerbate larvae development and the department urges gardeners to avoid doing so in winter or spring as it can promote excessive tree growth in the spring that can help gall wasps thrive. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
