The Invasive Species South Africa team are raising awareness about all the spring flowering plants that are actually listed as invasive.
South Africa (29 September 2022) – There are thousands of plant and animal species living in South Africa that are, in fact, invasive. The Invasive Species South Africa (ISSA) is working to educate the public using detailed social media posts.
Many people will accidentally and unknowingly encourage invasives because they assume they are local. The ISSA team have been hosting seminars and talks to reach more people and further educate them about the harm these species have on our environment.
“The ISSA community invites anyone interested in invasive species in South Africa to join their ranks. South Africa employs over 25 000 marginalised people in a national invasive species jobs programme. Under Natural Resource Management (NRM) Programmes (Dept of Environmental Affairs), the fight against the spread of invasive species is a multi-disciplinary, multi-departmental programme that has extensive stakeholder partnerships with the scientific community and private sector”
This information is valuable to everyone, but those who have an interest in natural pursuits such as gardening, hiking, birdwatching and fishing, may find it the most interesting to learn about the invasives living here.
With Spring in full swing, the team have been sharing more posts related to flowering plants. You can read all about each invasive via their Facebook page here, but we have added a few of the informative posters below. One of the main flowers and one that the team is taking serious action against, is the Yellow Flag Iris.
“Have you seen any infestations of Yellow Flag Iris? Help a researcher. Report the location + GPS coordinates + digital images to Emma Sandenbergh (esandenbergh7@gmail.com), at the Centre for Biological Control.
Iris pseudacorus is a category 1a #nvasive plant and has been reported in 8 of SA’s 9 provinces.”
Below are a few more common garden flowers that are actually classed as invasive.