Confession is supposed to be good for the soul! In that vein I must admit to a few offences on the invasive weed front. Undoing the consequences of past ignorance is proving to be an ongoing and time consuming business. I won't weary you by recounting the details of my many crimes. In mitigation though, it is worth mentioning that, my unwitting, recidivistic criminal activity was actively abetted by a number of garden centres!
Lack of knowledge on the part of the gardener or garden centre is a real problem when it comes to invasive weeds. The recent WEEDS4NATIVE initiative did a great job in making the problem known. Exchanging a couple of bags of weeds for a native plant was a very practical way of informing the public. The momentum would really grow should it become a yearly event on the Coromandel.
Garden centres are required not to supply invasive plant species. Pampas grass, it must be admitted is a superb ornamental. However, I was surprised to see an huge vase of it's flower heads , on display, in a Hamilton garden centre, just a month ago. "Isn't that an invasive weed?" "oh, it's dead" said the manager. "Anyway, the waste land just over the fence is full of it" It was an unexpected lack of awareness and responsibility. Each flower head would have contained huge numbers of viable seeds. Pampas can be quite a problem. It quickly colonises disturbed land. Roadsides, forestry blocks, regenerating pastures and open scrub are easy targets. It also makes a great home for rats and it is quite common in areas of Tuateawa, where rats can be a problem.
It is very closely related to our native Toe toe or toi toi. This species prefers swampy areas and is often found mixed with flax. Toe toe is not an endangered species but Pampas does grow in it's preferred habitat as the image shows. Both species are growing alongside the Tuateawa Stream by the boat ramp.
Roundup works well on Pampas but it is best to be sure that you are not targeting the wrong species as they are similar. Pampas has erect flower heads, the leaves have a single large vein and the dead leaves spiral up a bit like wood shavings. Toe toe has more relaxed flower heads and other veins can be clearly seen along side the main leaf vein. THE SIMPLEST TEST IS TO TUG A LEAF. ONLY PAMPAS LEAVES WILL SNAP. Take care though. Both plants have serrated margins to their leaves.
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