An invasive plant species “growing everywhere” in one Aussie suburb not only poses large-scale biosecurity risks if not controlled, but it can also impact your health if you try to remove it.
A resident of Truganina in Melbourne’s west was bewildered by the “insane-looking” plants that have sprouted up around his home and questioned online what they were. The vibrant purple flowers, pointy spines and their unusual shape were quickly identified as artichoke thistles.
The invasive species was first introduced as a garden plant but quickly spread across landscapes, now posing a significant risk to biosecurity in Victoria, NSW and Western Australia due to its impressive ability to dominate other plants.
“It’s unknown why invasive plants, which are often introduced, are so ecologically successful,” Patricia Lu-Irving from Botanic Gardens NSW told Yahoo News. “They can spread very quickly and form very dense populations.”
Yahoo News has reached out to Wyndham City Council about the spread of artichoke thistles in Truganina.
Invasive weeds irritate farmers and their skin
The spines of the weed, if touched can cause contact dermatitis — a skin irritation that can escalate into an itchy, inflamed rash.
“Touching artichoke thistles can irritate and inflame the skin in some people. The spines can pierce the skin,” warn NSW WeedWise.
They are also a headache for many farmers across the country as they make harvesting particularly difficult by easily out-competing crops and their spines restrict movement of livestock.
Artichoke thistles can cause dermatitis to some who touch it. Source: X/alexmitchelleg & health.com
Removing the weeds by hand is one option for the pests, but due to the potential for skin irritation and their relentless ability to regrow due to their deep roots, chemical pesticides are often the best bet. However, goats have also been used as an effective control method, with the animal grazing on the plant.
There is concern these plants can cause economic and environmental impacts, for example, by degrading the value of agricultural land or by negatively affecting native biodiversity,” Lu-Irving said. “Invasive plants tend to form large and dense populations.”
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