A new labelling scheme is being trialled to help Aussie gardeners choose plants that won't jump the fence and become the next big problem for native species.
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The scheme will see commonly sold nursery plants labelled according to their invasion risk in the hope of preventing more ecological disasters like the lantana invasion.
Lantana was originally brought to Australia as an ornamental garden plant but it quickly escaped.
It now covers more than four million hectares and poses a serious threat to World Heritage-listed areas because when it takes over, it forms dense thickets that lock out native species.
That is just one example of the country's invasive weeds problem, which costs more than $13.6 billion a year and threatens plants that do belong in wild, native landscapes.
The green-tick plant labels are the work of Gardening Responsibly and are underpinned by scientific risk assessments carried out by Macquarie University.
The scheme is backed by a searchable website to make it easy for gardeners to assess plants they might want to put in the yards.
Entire lists can also be uploaded, giving landscapers a handy tool to make good choices on larger projects.
The scheme is being trialled at select locations in NSW, including wholesale and retail nurseries, some of which supply Bunnings Warehouse.
But it's been designed to go national, with its founders looking for partners to achieve that, and boost the number of species-specific risk assessments from the 660 already done.
With 30,000 plant varieties currently traded in Australia, there's a vast body of work ahead.
"Our program is about predicting and preventing future weeds," Gardening Responsibly's program manager Aimee Freimannis said.
"It's how we'll make a difference and turn off the tap for future weeds.
"The climate is changing. The varieties of plants, it's very dynamic, and something like 20 new plants naturalise every year.
"Even though we've already got 2700 invasive species out there it's likely that's going to increase exponentially, so now's the time to do this research and get gardeners, industry and governments on board."
The scheme is the result of a partnership involving the industry group Nursery and Garden Industry NSW & ACT, the Australian Institute of Horticulture, NSW Department of Primary Industries and NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service.
Visit gardeningresponsibly.org.au for more.
Australian Associated Press
