Melville Koppies combats the pink peril of the PomPom weed

Beware of this beautiful, beguiling, perennial invader, which is a knee-high pink haze in grasslands.

The pink flower weed is invading and destroying our indigenous grasslands, and livestock farmers, who do not control this weed, will go bankrupt, says Melville Koppies chairperson Wendy Carstens.

Read more: Garden Day sees trees and vegetable patch planted at Marang House

The alien invader is the pink PomPom weed (campuloclinium macrocephalum). Its dense flowerhead contains millions of wind-blown seeds and the finger-like, flabby roots regrow if each rootlet is not carefully dug out.

Also read: Community Cleaners clean another park in their fight against alien plants and crime

What to do if you come across the pink peril:

Carstens advises to cut off the flowerheads and pop them into a plastic bag, so that they can become squishy and dead. “Very carefully dig out the roots with a fork ,not a spade or hoe, and put them into the bag as well. Alternatively, you can hang the roots somewhere to dry out thoroughly and then chop them up.”

The Melville Koppies is being invaded by these wind-blown seeds. Our conservation team, and dedicated volunteers, are removing them as fast as they can, she said.

Carstens voiced that in this high tech age, the site of each plant that has been removed is recorded on a map, and follow-up eradication needs to be done every season.

Carstens advises that residents should also remove the weed from their garden. “If you walk on the Koppies, let us know exactly where you have seen them, so we can deal with them.”

Follow us on our Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok pages. Join our WhatsApp group for any story ideas you may have.

Related article: Gold Reef Rose Society and Ludwigs Roses Egoli plant roses at Johannesburg Botanical Gardens