Environmental weeds can be foreign plants accidentally or intentionally introduced to areas of native vegetation, resulting in modification and damage to the natural assemblage of plants and animals within an area.
Weeds can also take the form of native plants that have become weedy due to inappropriate management or because they are outside of their normal range.
Weeds are a serious threat to native plants and animals within the City of Canning. Competing with native plants for water, light and nutrients, weeds cause a reduction in biological diversity and abundance. They can also change the structural diversity of plant communities, resulting in less favourable habitats for native wildlife and often increasing fuel loads leading to fire risk in natural areas.
Some of the City's most problematic weed species include Carnation weed (Euphorbia terracina), Typha (Typha orientalis), Caltrop (Tribulus terrestris), Annual and Perennial Veldt Grass (Ehrharta longiflora and Ehrharta calycina), Wild Gladiolus (Gladiolus caryophyllaceus) and Japanese Pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius). The City's Natural Areas Team works with contractors and community groups to control these weeds using a combination of different techniques including herbicide application, hand weeding, brush cutting, excavation and revegetation.
The City undertakes the majority of its weed control during winter and spring. When herbicides are being applied, yellow warning signs are displayed to notify the public of treatment areas. Both selective and non-selective herbicides are used depending on the type of natural area, target weed and level of infestation. The City's contractors and Natural Areas Team are trained in herbicide application to ensure target areas are treated effectively according to the Health (Pesticides) Regulations 2011 and Guidelines for the safe use of pesticides in non-agricultural workplaces.
You can help to prevent the spread of weeds by using native species in your garden, controlling weeds on your own property, disposing of garden refuse in your green bin and walking on designated footpaths in bushland areas.
For more information view the below brochures:
Are Your Garden Plants Going Bush?
Weeds in the Wild