The Department of Agriculture and Food has urged people buying spring flowering bulbs from the internet or from catalogues to ensure they are not bulbs which could pose a threat to Western Australian agriculture.
The Department’s Agricultural Resource Risk Management executive director John Ruprecht said bulb plants escaping into agricultural areas was a long-term problem, particularly in the Great Southern and South West.
“Some spring flowering bulbs are toxic for livestock, and are a concern when they escape into paddocks,” Mr Ruprecht said.
Mr Ruprecht said spring flowering bulbs were sold and planted in autumn. Most local nurseries and WA bulb retailers were aware of problem bulbs and the dangers they posed to local agriculture and did not sell them. However, they could still be bought on the internet or through catalogues.
“WA is free from many pests, weeds and diseases present elsewhere in Australia. To protect this unique status, WA has strict quarantine measures in place,” he said.
“Parcels containing bulbs and corms sent from interstate are assessed and checked by quarantine inspection staff using x-rays and detector dogs to check out the species and possible pests.
“Because of our climate, many plants from the Mediterranean and South Africa flourish here, and have become weeds that easily escape from gardens.
“Some species that are invasive or toxic are already common in WA, so they cannot be prohibited, but farmers and people living near bushland should avoid them.
“One of the most problematic is chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides), a native of South Africa that has adapted well to our conditions, and is already a problem for farmers in the Kojonup to Albany region, particularly in the Tambellup area. It’s a pretty plant, but may be deadly for stock, cause blindness in cattle, and foetid haemorrhagic diarrhoea in sheep.
“To date, it has only been known to cause problems for sheep in WA, but in South Africa it has affected goats, horses, cattle, rabbits, guinea pigs and dogs that have chewed on the bulbs.”
Other weedy bulbs were freesias, watsonias, babianas, ixias, sparaxis, black flag, soldiers (lachenalias), and species gladiolus which were all available for sale. Bulbs like watsonia, and arum lily invade prime farmland. While the bulbs can be purchased at local markets, the department is encouraging people to think twice about bulb purchases which can threaten productive agricultural land.
Mr Ruprecht said people should be very careful about where they dispose of plant rubbish from their properties and should not dump it on roadsides or bushland.
Information on weedy bulbs is available here [1].
[2]Media contacts: Jodie Thomson/Lisa Bertram, media liaison +61 (0)8 9368 3937