Invasive plants: Floating in the wind

Invasive plant species are dangerous because they replace indigenous plant life and can cause long-term damage to ecosystems.

One such plant is the popular Sword Fern, or Nephrolepis exaltata, also known as the maidenhair fern – or swaardvaring in Afrikaans.

For more from our invasive plant series click HERE

This tufted evergreen fern can grow up to a meter in height and has bright green leaves approximately one meter long by 60mm wide, it has arching to erect, linear fronds with shallowly toothed pinnae (the smaller ‘leaves’ that make up each frond).

A serious problem in KZN, the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, the sword fern originally hails from North and Central America.

It spreads in two ways: through spores that can travel on the wind and end up just about anywhere; and through runners that the plant sends out along the ground, forming new plants from the buds.

The plant is a common addition in many gardens as an ornamental fern but it competes with and may replace indigenous species when forming thick infestations.

Rather than the alien sword fern, a better alternative is the indigenous giant swordfern (Nephrolepis biserrata) – while their names and appearances are quite similar, the giant swordfern is a native of Africa and does not pose the same threat to our ecosystems.

If you think you might have an invasive plant in your garden and would like it identified, contact the Dolphin Coast Conservancy’s Di Jones at 083 612 0859 and they will help you know which plants in your backyard may put our little piece of paradise at risk.

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