Help remove the weedy flowers, roots and all

Some flowers are not so pretty, and some are beautiful weeds. Large leaf bush pea (Pultenaea daphnoides) is a flowering shrub introduced to New Zealand as a garden plant years ago. Like many of the plants introduced early in New Zealand’s gardening history, it’s gone rogue.

Now it is a real pest in some of the poorer soils of Northland. It can add nitrogen to soils that don’t need it and completely change the native plant communities there.

Weed Action is calling for volunteers to come and help ‘Remove the weedy flowers, roots and all’ from Marunui on the edge of the beautiful Piroa-Brynderwyns forest near Mangawhai.

“We are hoping to get at least 10 people on each of two days to help with a morning in the bush, finding and controlling this weedy pest,” says Weed Action coordinator Sara Brill. “Many of the plants will be seedlings but some may need a snip with secateurs or be sawn off and the stump treated with a little gel herbicide supplied.”

Sara invites keen, fit weeders to come and spend a useful morning from 9am to 1pm in the bush with other eco weed warriors. As the terrain is fairly steep sturdy footwear is needed, along with gloves, water, sunscreen, a hat and tools such as secateurs, a hand fork and/or a pruning saw. She advises a delicious lunch will be provided and that the activity will be subject to Covid-19 levels.