Pest Plants: Recognise, Report, Remove, Restore

Have you seen these pest plants?

Help free your backyard and neighbourhoods of these pest plants

• Recognise pest plants using the iNaturalist app (or the simpler Seek app) or the Forest & Bird Weed Guide 2021 (old 2019 version: Forest & Bird Weed Control Guide) 

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• Report pest plant locations using the EcoTrack app – Read the User guide and get in touch to find out more

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• Remove pest plants 

  • Use our Six Pest Plants - Recognise and Remove flyer

  • Follow best practice outlined in the Forest & Bird Weed Guide 2021 

  • Borrow tools or herbicide gels from us at the PFK Toolshed

  • Volunteer to help with weed control in your area

  • Talk to your neighbours about pest plants

  • Dispose of pods, roots and seed heads in our community pest plant bins

  • Join others - click on the green "Volunteer" button below

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• Restore native biodiversity by planting native plants in your backyard, your workplace or school or by joining a restoration group​

How to remove moth plants, woolly nightshade and wild ginger

If you want more details, download the fact sheets below to learn how to remove these pest plants safely and effectively, so they won't seed in or resprout next year.

Moth plant fact sheet (PDF)

moth plant (Araujia hortorum)

aka moth vine, cruel plant

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Moth Plant advice in Chinese? 

If you have neighbours who would welcome some moth plant information in Chinese, click here for the Auckland Council brochure Moth plant brochure in CHINESE

Council also has a range of weed brochures in Chinese - ask at your local library.

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Wild ginger fact sheet (PDF)

wild ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum)

aka Kahili ginger

Woolly nightshade fact sheet (PDF)

woolly nightshade (Solanum mauritianum)

aka tobacco plant, tobacco weed

Disposal of seriously invasive pest plants

There are many ways to dispose of pest plants safely and effectively.

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For more information, please see our Pest plant disposal page.

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See PFK on Facebook for updates and Events page for community activities

Auckland's Regional Pest Management Plan

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What is the Auckland "Regional Pest Management Plan" (RPMP)?

The new RPMP is due out early 2020. It includes rules about all sorts of pests - animals, plants and pathogens. It is written within the context of the Biosecurity Act and takes into account the Good Neighbour rules. 
 

The 2020 RPMP will introduce a new approach to controlling environmental weeds in buffer zones around high value reserves. It has selected Pest Free Kaipātiki to work with it to develop a community led education and encouragement approach to controlling the weeds which do the most damage to ecological reserves. From January 2020, we are keen to hear from volunteers who can help with this weed campaign in their area.

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How can I do more to help control pest plants?

How do I become a street champion or join a pest plant Hit Squad?

Click on the Volunteer button and fill in your details.

Tick one or more of the boxes saying you'd like to:

• coordinate a halo group | join the pest plant control campaign | help with a pest plant hit squad. 

Give more details in "Other areas of interest".

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Want to help with pest plant hit squads or weeding bees?

Go to this page: Where and when are pest plant hit squads and working bees held

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How does the Pest Plant Campaign help with wider environmental issues?

• Environmental weeds destroy biodiversity by smothering native and food-producing plants

• They suppress native regeneration - meaning that the ecology under old trees gradually dies out

• Our pest control programmes complement native restoration and tree planting programmes

• Some environmental weeds have adverse health effects - eg moth plant, woolly nightshade, privet

• Controllling environmental weeds is a step in making for a healthier neighbourhood and planet

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Thanks to our supporters

Our Pest Plant campaign is supported by the Kaipātiki Local Board, Pest Free Auckland and the Birkenhead Licensing Trust. The 2018 PFK Pest Plant campaign and the EcoTrack weed app were supported by funding from DOC.  The EcoTrack app is supported by the volunteer-led social enterprise EcoEngage.NZ  - more volunteers with relevant skills are welcomed.