Asparagus scandens, aka asparagus fern, is an invasive weed and has completely covered large areas of our waterways, particularly Fraser River, and along Grassy Rd and is a major island problem.
It is rampant around Grassy and Grassy River and is increasing in density in many of our precious forest areas.
It has the ability to completely smother all the medium and ground-level native plants in areas it invades.
Asparagus fern will invade and destroy all our native vegetation if we allow it to continue spreading.
The Birds of King Island group and visiting ecologists have grave concerns about the impact asparagus fern is having and will have in the future as it spreads further on the habitat (home) of our native animals, particularly our critically endangered birds, the King Island Scrubtit and King Island Brown Thornbill, both little birds that are unique to King Island.
We also have landholders who are very concerned about the impact of asparagus fern on the essential natural areas of their properties.
King Island Landcare is embarking on a long-term effort to control this weed once and for all. It will take many years and will rely on a whole of community effort, but the cost of doing nothing will be far greater than the cost and time to strategically control it.
We have a one-year project running until June 2024, involving some hand removal and chemical trials, and a management plan to inform future activity and leverage funding.
Asparagus fern is notoriously hard to kill with chemicals. We will do a trial of various herbicide chemicals that have been suggested might work better than our normal mix of metsulfuron, Pulse and Envirodye.
Always carefully read the labels and MSDS before using chemicals and follow the safety instructions. Avoid spraying chemicals into water).
Landcare is holding a field day on October 6 and we invite all sections of the community and farmers to attend.
This will be held at Carmen Holloway and James Hill’s property, where we will see the efforts they have made over the years by hand removal, and observe our herbicide trial site next door. See advertisement for details.
The most important part of the management plan is to update the mapping we have.
Do you know of asparagus fern outside of the areas shown on the map?
Close-up maps are available on the King Island Landcare Facebook page, and hard copies will also be available at both Elders and the Post Office, which you can draw on if you know of asparagus fern that we haven’t mapped yet (Please put your name next to your markings so we can follow up with you).
Alternatively, we can send out hard copies of maps, or email them to you on request, or you can come into the office and show us in person or come along to the field day and do it there.
We will prioritise areas for control and develop an action plan in conjunction with King Islander’s ínput.
The plan will contain information about how to control and what’s been achieved elsewhere, as well as references to further information, and flagging who is responsible for the activities.
Please let us know any thoughts and input you have on the management of asparagus fern on King Island. Contact Eve Woolmore, Landcare crew coordinator (relief). 0447805286. Email eve41013@gmail.com or drop into the office at KIRDO, George St, Currie.