It would seem the Parys Wetland hosts the first ‘outbreak’ of another new invasive species in the area -most likely thanks to garden refuse being dumped in the Wetland in the centre of town.

“The Parkinsonia aculeata, also known as the Jerusalem thorn, is a Central American native plant predominantly from Mexico, not Israel/Palestine as the name suggests,” says Danie Venter, who has already listed 288 plant species in die Parys Wetland area on INaturalist.

This plant is incredibly drought-resistant and is used as a shade tree in desert climates and landscaping.
Venter says the catch is that just like our sweet thorns, Vachellia karoo, that took over swathes of the wetland, these employ the same tactic. It creates thousands of pods each season, which eventually result in Parkinsonia aculeata, also known as the Jerusalem thorn. Photo: Danie Venter dense thorny thickets. The patch where they are starting to get a foothold is around 4th Avenue, where the most recent cross-country
event was held.

Information & Photo supplied by Danie Venter.