Invasive flower endangers Australia’s grassland
(MENAFN) A recent study has highlighted that Gazania, a flower originally from South Africa, is increasingly endangering Australia’s native grasslands and key agricultural sectors due to its extraordinary resilience and versatility.
According to findings shared by experts, this ornamental plant—first introduced to Australia decades ago—has now established itself as a pervasive weed. Its capacity to thrive in a broad range of environmental conditions, including different light levels, temperatures, and soil types (even those with high salt content and fluctuating moisture), has made it particularly hard to manage.
Gazania was initially brought into the country between the 1950s and 1970s as a decorative plant, but it soon escaped cultivated areas and began to spread across multiple ecosystems. Today, it grows widely across southern and western Australia, colonizing sites from coastal dunes and stream banks to roadsides and farmlands, as stated by reports.
The research, which appeared in an agronomy journal, concluded that Gazania seeds can germinate regardless of the season, even under tough environmental stresses. This year-round adaptability allows the weed to invade farmland persistently. Its presence is proving particularly challenging for Australian farmers in arid regions, where it is infesting grain-growing areas, showing resistance to common herbicides, and outperforming native crops on sandy and low-quality soils, according to the study.
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