The eagle eyes of an Environment Southland staff member recently led to the find of a new Old Man’s Beard site near Dipton. Now, Environment Southland is urging residents to remain vigilant and check their properties and gardens for any suspected sightings of the pest plant, which poses a significant threat to native vegetation and forest ecosystems.
Old Man’s Beard is a deciduous vine that can reach up to 20 metres high and is distinguished by its fluffy, beard-like seed heads. If left uncontrolled, it can smother and collapse trees, turning forests into an infestation of this pest.
Environment Southland Team Leader Biosecurity Plants, Jolie Hazley, said the discovery was timely reminder for residents to stay alert for pest plants on their own properties.
“This Old Man’s Beard find shows how important it is to keep an eye out for invasive pest plants. Winter is also a good time for Southlanders to check their properties for other pest plants, including German ivy and smilax.
“German ivy is already present in parts of Southland and is currently easier to spot because of its distinctive yellow flowers. We have a few small sites of Smilax in Southland that are under control but would like to find more as we are trying to eradicate both of these plants from Southland.
“The sooner people report suspected sightings, the better chance we have of protecting Southland’s precious native ecosystems,” Jolie Hazley said.
The Old Man’s Beard site near Dipton has been controlled with aerial spraying and will be revisited on the ground in the coming months.
If you think you may have seen any of these pests, please contact Environment Southland on 0800 76 88 45 or email service@es.govt.nz. Early reporting helps ensure the plant can be identified, managed effectively and prevented from spreading further.
Other great resources to aid identification of these plants are the Environment Southland Pest Hub and the iNaturalist phone app.
