South Brighton Boneseed Bash

12 January 2004

South Brighton will host its first Boneseed Bash on Saturday 24 January  - a day dedicated to helping Canterbury eradicate the plant pest, boneseed.

Organised by the South New Brighton Residents’ Association and Christchurch City Council, the community work day will involve culling pockets of boneseed and   showing people how to identify and remove the plant.

Boneseed is an evergreen shrub reaching up to three metres high, with bright yellow daisy-like flowers and long dull-green toothed leaves.  Its name is derived from its hard bone-coloured seeds.

Also known as salt bush, boneseed grows easily along the coast and can reproduce prolifically. As a result, it can displace native plants and shade out native seedlings. It is also a fire risk as it burns readily.

Anyone wanting to take part in the South Brighton Boneseed Bash should meet at 10am on Saturday 24 January at the South Brighton Domain boat ramp car park, Beatty St. Please bring gardening gloves and if you can secateurs and/or a grubber or spade.  The Boneseed Bash is expected to end around midday.

For further information contact Rodney Chambers on 941 6840.

Background
Boneseed is recognised as a plant pest throughout New Zealand.  It cannot be sold, propagated or distributed.  The plant is however spread widely by birds and while it burns easily, fire can germinate the plant’s seeds.

Now is an ideal time for gardeners to check their properties for the summer flowering boneseed plants, whose clusters of fruit turn black when ripe.

Boneseed plants can be pulled when small, otherwise they should be cut down and the stump painted with herbicide.  The plant material should be disposed of at a refuse station, unless all of the seeds have been removed, when it can be composted.

For further details on identifying boneseed and ways to control it, contact the Christchurch City Council or Environment Canterbury. More information is also available in The Canterbury Weed Guide on the Council’s website: www.ccc.govt.nz/parks/TheEnvironment/weedguide.asp   and Pests and Weeds on Environment Canterbury's website: www.ecan.govt.nz/pests-weeds/boneseed-factsheet.html

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