8 hours ago
Push to ban Gazania daisies after new research finds them harmful to Australian environment
An ornamental flowering plant sold at Bunnings and other nurseries has been labelled dangerous to Australia's environment.
Gazania daisies, bright coloured flowers native to South Africa, are a 'highly-invasive plant', a new study by La Trobe University said.
According to the research, gazania seeds show a high tolerance for a wide range of environmental conditions, enabling them to spread more aggressively and destructively than previously expected.
As a result, researchers warn that the plant could become a problematic weed all year-round across much of Australia, potentially leading to widespread infestations.
Gazania has already been found growing in a range of habitats, from coastal sand dunes and stream banks to wastelands, open grasslands, roadsides and cultivated or irrigated sites in southern and parts of Western Australia.
'These preliminary findings suggest this weed has the potential to develop a significant seedbank in Australian no-till grain production systems,' the report said.
Invasive Species Council Advocacy manager Imogen Ebsworth has called for a national ban on the plant, expanding from the current restrictions in South Australia.
'Gazanias are the perfect example of an escaped invasive garden plant that needs to be banned from sale,' she said.
'I urge the nursery industry to act on this new evidence and stop selling it.
'Gazanias are not only overrunning native grasslands, coastlines and roadsides — they are moving into grain production areas, choking out crops and costing farmers.'
Ebsworth said three-quarters of Australia's listed unstoppable weeds began as ornamental plants, adding that failing to act now would represent a 'regulatory failure'.
'We are calling on governments to take immediate steps to phase out high-risk species like gazania from nurseries and online marketplaces,' she said.
Gazanias are sold legally through nurseries and plant retailers in various regions across Australia.
Bunnings, one of the retailers stocking the plant, said it has no current plans to stop selling gazanias.
'Like many nurseries and retailers, we sell a wide range of locally-sourced plants across our stores and we work hard to create an assortment that caters to customer preferences and demand,' said Cam Rist, Bunnings Director of Merchandise.
'As always, we closely follow all relevant local biosecurity regulations and the advice of regulators about the plants we sell.'
