Remove invasive weeds
Do you have these common weeds in your garden?
Weeds, also known as pest plants, are causing major damage to our native forest. Some weeds climb up native plants and smother them, while others harm the soil, preventing native plants from regenerating.
Weeds in your garden can kill the native plants on your property and spread quickly to neighbouring properties, so it’s important to keep an eye out for weeds and get rid of them as soon as you can.
Which weeds should I be looking out for?
In the Waitākere Ranges, the most destructive weeds are:
If you click on the links above, you’ll be taken to the relevant page for each weed on Auckland Council’s Tiaki Tāmaki Makaurau website. Have a look at the images on these pages and check whether you have these weeds in your garden – you’ll probably find at least one of them.
You could also familiarise yourself with other common weeds in Forest and Bird’s Weed Guide.
What’s the best way to get rid of weeds?
Once you know which weeds you’re dealing with, the next step is to figure out the best way to remove them. If you search for the weed on the Tiaki Tāmaki Makaurau website or look it up in Forest and Bird’s Weed Guide, you’ll find the recommended method and tool for each weed.
You can dispose of invasive weeds free of charge at the community weed bins, located permanently in Piha and Huia or on a pop-up or monthly basis in several other locations in the ranges. For more information on weed bins visit EcoMatter's website.
For advice and help with weeding, connect with your local volunteer group.
Image credits: Climbing Asparagus via www.tiakitamakimakaurau.org.nz
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