Old man’s beard holds out against eradication attempts

The battle against one of the most invasive weeds in wider Manawatu¯ seems to have moved from extermination to control, with even some of the most innovative options likely to only hold back growth.

Old man’s beard has been an issue for more than three decades, with those living in New Zealand in the 1980s likely to remember David Bellamy’s plea – ‘‘old man’s beard must go’’ – from a television advertising campaign.

The weed grows especially fast, as much as 10 metres a year, and will cover the canopy of forests, choking large trees and blocking sunlight to ferns below.

The plant has even been known to entangle and choke livestock.

Horizons Regional Council plants biosecurity co-ordinator Craig Davey gave the council’s environment committee an update on Tuesday about how old man’s beard control was going.

Totally eradicating the plant from the region appeared unlikely, with Davey saying it was affecting wildlife everywhere.

Some areas were not being controlled because it would either cost too much or there would be too much ‘‘collateral damage’’, he said.

Various insects had been introduced to see if they would eat the weed, but none had worked well.

Cr Paul Rieger said it might get to a point where collateral damage may have to be accepted.

‘‘Maybe some of our natives should be quarantined so we have a good supply of material, get some good bugs and beetles that work really well and have the collateral damage.’’

But Cr Nicola Patrick took issue with that.

‘‘Any native clematis is unique and not found anywhere else in the world. The idea that it is acceptable to sacrifice it is just madness.’’