What’s your Worst Weed? Vote NOW!
Tradescantia, 2015 ‘winner’ of NZ Plant Conservation Network’s worst weed category
Gratifying and glorious to pestilent and persistent - during November you can vote for your favourite NZ native plant and least favourite weed at the NZ Plant Conservation Network’s website.
In 2015, the winner of the Worst Weed crown narrowly went to repeat offender wandering Jew (Tradescantia fluminensis) with 17% of the vote. This added to the title it gained in the inaugural vote of 2012.
This unpopular creeping invasive, inspired comments both brief and broad, such as: “This is a pernicious weed which wreaks an unprecedented level of havoc among our native ecosystems and urban gardens throughout New Zealand; by acknowledging its particularly detrimental impact on the environment I hope that people nationwide are inspired to take their best efforts to remove this species from our ecosystem.” “Hate it!”
The other winners from previous years include: Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and veldt grass (Ehrharta erecta). Both are terrible plants for our native environment and ensure a lot of time spent attempting to control or eradicate them. It’s most likely these horrific species will again rate in the 2016 list.
With voting closing at the end of this month, make sure you vote - it only takes a minute! Anyone can vote as long as they have an email address, so round up your friends, family, neighbours, colleagues and great Aunt Bessie, to get in behind your favourite New Zealand native plant and least enjoyed invasive weed. Winners of both categories will be announced in December.