As the weather warms up, the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is urging residents in the Cardinia Shire to be on alert for high risk invasive plants. According to DPI Biosecurity Officer Annie Lamb, the climate during spring and summer is ideal for most plants to grow, flower and potentially spread. “State prohibited weeds such as water hyacinth, salvinia and Mexican feather grass can spread rapidly during these periods, with the ability to cause considerable damage to waterways, natural areas and agricultural production,” Ms Lamb said. These three state prohibited weeds have previously been detected in illegal trade.

“It is possible that residents may have purchased these plants in the past, unaware that they were highly invasive weeds,” Ms Lamb said. Water hyacinth and salvinia are aquatic weeds that were brought to Australia as ornamental plants. They have since been detected in parts of south-eastern Melbourne and the Dandenong Ranges. Water hyacinth is a floating plant with round, glossy green leaves that have swollen pockets of air to help the plant float. In summer it produces mauve flowers with a yellow dot in the centre of the upper most petal.Salvinia is a floating fern, with small bright green oval-shaped leaves and no flowers. It is often confused with another less invasive water plant called azolla, but it does not turn pink-brown like azolla.