Kwinana council’s ‘Gladdy Grabs’ remove bags of invasive pink gladiolus from bushland
Gladdy grab sounds fun but it is a serious initiative by the City of Kwinana to remove a dangerous plant from native bushland.
Last month, volunteers removed 21 bags of pink gladiolus taking over Wildflower Reserve in Orelia.
The plant was also targeted at an event at Crofter Court in Wellard a week earlier.
Pink gladiolus make a beautiful addition to a bouquet but in WA’s bushland, the South African native is an invasive weed.
The plant’s threat to the native ecosystem is so serious councils can ask residents to remove them if found in their yard.
Kwinana mayor Peter Feasey said he would not recommend locals plant pink gladiolus in their gardens as the species is listed on the Pest Plants local law.
Pink gladiolus are a plant called a geophyte, which means they have underground storage organs that allow them to survive harsh conditions.
“The problem with the geophytes in Banksia Woodland of the Swan Coastal Plain is that it can easily spread and displace native species in this very diverse ecosystem, which is currently under threat,” Mr Feasey said.
“The pink gladiolus is able to propagate from both the underground corm and by seed that are dispersed by wind, making it very effective at dispersing throughout the landscape, and very difficult to control.”
The council’s ‘Gladdy Grab’ event is one way to reduce the population of the invasive plant.
“It is quite easy to spot them in spring with bright pink flowers, and with many volunteers we can cover a lot of ground and it is a very satisfying event to remove these weeds from good quality Banksia Woodland bushland,” Mr Feasey said.
The pink flowers can be spotted in bushland until the end of October.
“If you do see the distinctive pink flowers over the next few weeks, you can pull them out carefully, including the underground corm, without trampling the bush or disturbing the soil, and dispose of them in your general waste bin,” Mr Feasey added.
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