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Landcare is a non-governmental community movement dedicated to preventing land degradation and achieving sustainable land management. It consists of a network of local volunteer groups of which there are over 1700 in New South Wales alone. Each group works to find local solutions to local problems such as salinity, soil degradation, animal pests, weeds, vegetation loss, waterside erosion, poor water quality, coastal degradation and urban land degradation. If you appreciate how lucky we are in the Helensburgh district to enjoy a relatively unspoiled bush environment you should also be aware that it is under serious threat. read more

Tuesday 20 July 2021

BE WEEDWISE - Canna lily


Canna lily (Canna indica, Canna x generalis)




 

Canna lily is native to tropical America. It is considered an environmental weed in many areas of eastern and south-eastern Australia. It is also a problem on many Pacific islands, New Zealand and southern USA. It forms large dense clumps, particularly along waterways, and replaces native aquatic and wetland species.


It is a large, long-lived, herbaceous plant growing up to 2 m tall and spreading laterally by means of fleshy underground stems (i.e. rhizomes). Canna lily can flower from spring to autumn. Flowers are orange, yellow or red.







Dispersal: Seed and rhizomes spread by water, humans, contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden refuse dumping.






Control option: Dig out clumps ensuring all the rhizomes are removed. If you wish to grow this plant in your garden, please remove spent flowers before seeds form and do not dump seeds or rhizomes in local bushland.

 

Grow Me Instead

Gymea lily - Doryanthes excelsa. A local native plant which thrives in poor sandy soils and full sun or partial shade. The red trumpet-like flowers are borne in a terminal head 300 mm in diameter on a leafy flowering stem 2–4 m high.


Swamp lily - Crinum pedunculatumThis Australian native plant has rosettes of broad leaves and clusters of white, highly fragrant, flowers on 1m stems. Suits any soil, full sun or dappled shade and is mildly frost tolerant, it also grows well near ponds.


Day lilies - Hemerocallis species and hybrids. Day lilies have generous clumps of strappy leaves, and tall flower stems with double or single flowers in a wide range of colours.