Warning over invasive garden 'monstrosity' in Aussie yard that can cause brain dysfunction
A NSW gardener, from Port Macquarie, said she'd 'cut the weed back' and 'poisoned it so many times' – but the invasive plant keeps returning stronger than ever.
Australians in every state and territory are being reminded to steer clear of an invasive, "highly poisonous" plant species — deadly to both people an animals — after an east coast gardener said she has repeatedly battled to remove the "monstrosity" from her yard.
Online this week, a NSW woman, from Port Macquarie on the state's Mid North Coast, pleaded for help from her local community to remove the toxic shrub green cestrum from her garden. The woman said she "cut it back and poisoned it so many times", but the weed has a "very hard and large root system", meaning she "couldn't really dig it out".
A photo of the offending plant shows the huge green bush towering over the woman's back fence, with branches and yellow flowers growing in all directions. Green cestrum poisoning has been branded a "horrific experience", with experts warning it can cause severe liver damage and brain dysfunction.
Speaking to Yahoo after viewing the scene, Patricia Lu-Irving from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney encouraged anybody who comes across green cestrum to remove it safely, and report the encounter to the relevant local council. "Like many weeds, green cestrum is a non-native species that was deliberately introduced as a garden plant," Lu-Irving told Yahoo.
"It has now become established in almost every state in Australia. Invasive plants can spread and form dense populations which negatively affect our environment and economy, for example by outcompeting native species or reducing the value of agricultural land."
Ingestion a 'horrible experience', can cause liver damage, brain dysfunction and death
According to NSW Weed Wise, a division of the state's Department of Primary Industries, green cestrum is a shrub that is poisonous to people, pets, livestock and native animals. All parts of the plant, especially the berries, are very toxic if eaten, it said, with consumption often resulting in liver poisoning and can even be fatal.
"It’s best to wear gloves and other protective clothing when handling this plant. A combination of mechanical removal and herbicide treatment can be effective, especially with follow-up treatment of regrowth and hand removal of seedlings and suckers in autumn," Lu-Irving said.
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Dr Carol Booth, principal policy analyst with the Invasive Species Council also spoke to Yahoo about the weed. She said removing green cestrum requires digging out all roots to prevent regrowth and using registered herbicides.
"Green cestrum isn't just a danger to animals — in some places it outcompetes native plants, including in several threatened ecological communities," she warned. "Originally introduced from South America as a garden plant, green cestrum has now spread across several Australian states, aided by birds eating its berries and floods dispersing its seeds.
"Green cestrum poisoning is a horrific experience, causing severe liver damage, brain dysfunction and symptoms like abdominal pain, disorientation, and convulsions."
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