The flowers of invasive alien plants are to be found in a range of colours. Now is the time to check if you are endangering South Africa’s biodiversity and water supplies by growing illegal plants in your garden. These are the plants to avoid…
Did you know that of all the plant species that grow in South Africa 27 000 are indigenous and 9 000 are exotic (or alien) plants from other parts of the world? Of the 9 000 foreign plants, 198 are listed under the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (CARA No 43 of 1983) as designated invasive alien plants (IAPs). It is illegal to propagate or grow these species because they are destroying natural habitats and endangering South Africa’s biodiversity. Some – mostly trees – take up vast amounts of water or invade water courses, which is not desirable in a water-short country.
Later this year, the list of illegal plants is set to increase to 348, when proposed regulations to the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) are passed. This notwithstanding, there are relatively few plants, compared with the total number of species that you can plant, which are illegal to plant. Life is a garden. In the interests of our environment, remove these plants from your gardens.
What does the law say?
In all proposed and existing legislation, landowners remain responsible for the control of invasive alien plants on their properties. Currently, 198 listed IAPs are divided into three categories:
- Category 1: Remove and destroy. These listed plants may not be grown anywhere in South Africa. If they are in your garden, they should be removed and destroyed immediately. Trade in these plants is prohibited.
- Category 2: Permitted plants. Primarily plants of commercial value (to forestry and agriculture), these IAPs must be removed from suburban gardens and can only be grown with a permit in public spaces such as parks, schools and hospitals. Permits to keep these plants in your garden are obtainable from regional offices of the National Department of Agriculture.
- Category 3: No trade. These IAPs are permitted to grow where they already exist. However, no propagating, new planting or trade is permitted. This means that plants already growing in your garden may remain, but no more may be planted.
