Help us weed out the bio invasive plants!!
It’s that time again with a weeding day organised for this coming Sunday the 30th August. We are tackling Woolly Nightshade and it would be great to see you there.
The plan is:
We will be starting at 9am at the end of Duck Creek Road, Stillwater, Auckland. If you can’t come at this time that is fine, we will be just down the track and I will have my phone with me. While we usually finish early afternoon, if you can only spare one or two hours that is also fine, we appreciate any help you can give. We have our own equipment but if you have gloves and/or pruning gear (Woolly Nightshade grows to be a small tree) that you are happy to use then please do 🙂
I recommend that you wear boots or gumboots as the track can get very wet and muddy and clothes that cover your skin as the leaves can irritate skin. Please bring your own drink and lunch. I have attached below a short description of Woolly Nightshade from the Waikato Regional Council’s website explaining why it is such a problem in a popular native bush. People with breathing difficulties please read the description and be aware that the fine hairs on the leaves can cause breathing problems.
If you have any question please feel free to contact me either by email or phone.
I hope to see you there,
Julia O’Brien
027 235 9242
info@okurabush.org.nz
Woolly nightshade is a problem because it can form dense stands that crowd out other plants and stop them from growing. It invades pastoral land, native forest margins, scrublands and urban areas. A single plant can produce many thousands of seeds, which are spread by birds. These seeds can lie dormant in the soil and germinate up to 20-30 years later.
The berries of woolly nightshade are moderately toxic to people (especially children) and they may be poisonous to livestock. The leaves shed fine hairs when touched, which irritate the skin, eyes, nose and throat, and in some cases cause trouble with breathing.
http://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/woollynightshade/