King Island Landcare is on the offensive against invasive species plants on the island. Some invasive species are considered ‘pretty’ and easy to grow and are collected to plant in gardens. Over the coming weeks, Landcare will highlight some of the ‘pretty’ plants that are to be avoided and are targeted for removal.
Cape tulip is smothering the Tip and in Elginshore Drive, Currie, it is spreading out. It is also in Naracoopa, on the airport runway and can be spotted in clumps around the base of trees on properties and roadside verges. It is very attractive, but don’t take it home.
It is a declared weed in Tasmania under the Tasmanian Weed Management Act 1999. The importation, sale and distribution of cape tulips by law are prohibited in Tasmania.
There are two species of cape tulip in Tasmania: one-leaf cape tulip (Moraea flaccida) and two-leaf cape tulip (M. miniata). Their features are similar so for practical purposes they are treated as one weed.
Cape tulips are perennial (long-lived) herbs growing to 70 to 80 cm high. The leaves are long and linear and droop above the flowers; one-leaf cape tulip has a single leaf, while two-leaf cape tulip has two or three leaves.
The flowers are usually orange to salmon pink with a yellow centre, but occasionally plain yellow. Flowering takes place in spring. Plants do not flower until they are two or three years old.
Cape tulips produce underground bulbs, or corms, each year; the corms of one-leaf cape tulips are covered by a brown fibrous sheath, and the corms of two-leaf cape tulips are covered by a hard black sheath. One-leaf cape tulip produces seeds and Two-leaf cape tulip does not, but produces clusters of small corms, or cormils, at the base of the leaves and around the parent corm.
Cape tulips emerge in autumn after rain. Depending on the season, up to 60% of corms can remain dormant in the soil, while cormils can remain dormant for up to eight years.
Dense infestations can have up to 7,000 corms per square metre.
They are serious weeds of pasture and severe infestations can significantly reduce productivity and are also poisonous to stock. The plant remains toxic even when dry, so contaminated hay can also be a problem. Cape tulips can also invade native vegetation and become an environmental weed.
Due to their bright and cheerful flower, they are tempting to pick for a vase or to plant in the garden for colour – but don’t. If you locate cape tulips anywhere on King Island, contact Biosecurity Tasmania on 03 6165 3777 to report this weed or as a landholder or stakeholder, there is a requirement to remove it under Statutory Land Management Plans.
Removal can be done by hand or by chemical controls. A number of herbicides are registered for use on cape tulip in Tasmania and can be found at nre.tas.gov.au with usage guidelines and information concerning waterways protection.
NRE and King Island Landcare recommend that where cape tulip is evident in pastures or roadsides wash down vehicles after works to avoid further distribution and inspect hay bales for corms, and importantly do not plant in cleared areas or in a garden.