Heads must roll to curb this flourishing garden favourite – seed heads that is.
The last edition of Living In Eurobodalla prompted Joan from Narooma to write in, sharing her concerns on an up-tick in agapanthus she sees spreading down road verges and into bushland.
Many of us really like our agapanthus – so easy to grow, so hard to kill – with its riotous purple (sometimes white) flowers. But this hardy plant, originally hailing from South Africa, has been escaping from gardens across the country since the 1970s.
These plants are herbicide resistant... and can also resprout from root fragments left in the ground...
Agapanthus isn't yet a major weed in Eurobodalla. But Joan is right – its wide adaptability to different conditions means we should take action to stop it spreading. The single best thing to do is cut off those finished flower heads, pop them into a plastic bag in the sun – killing off any seeds – then into your red bin they go.
For those of you wanting to be rid of agapanthus altogether, things get a little trickier. These plants are herbicide resistant (we did say they're hard to kill!) and can also resprout from tiny root fragments left in the ground, so if you dig them out then do it thoroughly and dispose the same way as the seed heads.
You can replace agapanthus with local natives; spiny headed mat-rush (Lomandra longifolia) and grass flags (Libertia paniculata) are great alternatives. Mat-rush provides food and shelter for butterflies, moths and native bees, and even a bite for yourself: the leaf-base eaten raw taste like raw peas or can be fried up like leeks, and those hard seeds roasted then ground into flour. Grass flags have perfumed white flowers. You can buy both of these native plants at the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden.
This story was first published in Council's quarterly newsletter for residents, Living in Eurobodalla. A printed edition is delivered to the shire's 26,000 households.
