197 days ago

Watch out for this pretty flower

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Green thumbs are being asked to watch out for a beautiful but toxic flower that could be growing in their backyards.

What you need to know:
- Every part of the plant is poisonous, and can cause gastroenteritis, thirst, paralysis, blindness, and heart and kidney failure.
- This plant is hardy and normal pest control efforts are often not enough to eradicate.
- The cape tulip, growing up to 90cm high with one strap-like leaf, was introduced to Aotearoa in the 1940s, the Ministry for Primary Industries’ manager for pest management John Sanson said. “Cape tulips, like many of these invasive weeds, are really attractive ornamental species ...but they escape over people’s backyard fences and into pasture, as these things often do,”
- It was classified as a noxious plant in the late 1970s after they were discovered to cause harm to livestock and humans, even killing animals when too much as ingested.
- The salmon-pink flowers bloom for about two days a year between June and December, and have previously been an ornamental species for keen gardeners.

Sanson urged people who believed they had the weed growing on their property to leave it untouched and contact Biosecurity New New Zealand’s Exotic Pest and Disease on 0800 80 99 66.

Once a site was confirmed, manual removal or chemical treatment would start.

Image
More messages from your neighbours
7 days ago

Weekend laugh

Derek from Papatoetoe

Morning everyone Just a update on my hernia had a scan last week saw my doctor yesterday it hasn’t come back and there is no liquid around where it was Just swelling and it can take another few months for the swelling to go away. Here is your weekend laugh

Image
27 minutes ago

Weekend laugh

Derek from Papatoetoe

Sorry for the late. Forgot to do one today. Anyway here is your weekend laugh better late than never

Image
4 days ago

What's your favourite tomato recipe?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.

Image