Council leads fight against cape tulips
IT may be pretty by name but the cape tulip is poisonous by nature.
The Surf Coast Shire has declared war on the wildflower, with a program designed to control its spread on council-owned roadsides and land.
It is also calling on Surf Coast property owners to do their bit to eradicate the plant, which grows from a bulb and is poisonous to humans and animals if eaten.
But the pink-orange flower is not as delicate as it appears, and can often survive routine spraying.
Surf Coast Shire acting chief executive and general manager of environment and development Kate Sullivan said a persistent approach was needed to control it.
“It grows from corms — which are underground stems — and produces new corms each year,” Ms Sillivan said.
“Sixty per cent of the stems can remain dormant in soil and spraying will not kill them.”
They could then take two to three years to flower, she said.
The plants grow to about 70cm with stiff, erect stems that zigzag as they branch.
According to experts, the best way to get rid of the plants is by using registered herbicides — applied as the tulip flowers, or by removing the corms and either burning or bagging and disposing of the bulbs.
Ms Sullivan said letters had been sent to 155 landholders south of the Princes Highway in Winchelsea and Buckley, asking for support in controlling the cape tulip and protecting the health of humans, animals and the environment.
“Landowners have been encouraged to either start or continue to implement their own cape tulip weed control program,” she said.
Cape tulip is the common name for the toxic plant, which is native to South Africa.
It was introduced as a garden plant because of their attractive flowers and hardy nature.
Cape tulips are members of the iris family, Iridaceae, a large family with native and exotic species.