Help find sleeper weeds

Excellent thanks Michael. Thanks for setting up this project. I encourage everyone to post records of these weeds to Canberra Nature Map.

I have recorded nine of these species (not the pears) over the last nine years. Should I record them again for a time-line as most of them are still there? I did manage to persuade the rangers to tackle some of the Arbutus unedo with a chainsaw.

Mike - existing records are accessed as part of this project and informing the case for removal of species from promoted planting list. There are 34 records for Strawberry tree so it already seems a no brainer for removal from landscape list. However if some of your plants have not been removed or have resrpouted or re-appeared from seed it would be good to have the time-line of their existence

We will never get rid of agapanthus. I was told years ago it would not spread by seed in Canberra but some I have found appeared to be seedlings. Agapanthus is still being sold in garden centres as Agapanthus africanus but South African Biodiversity Institute http://pza.sanbi.org/agapanthus-praecox says "Many gardeners and even some authors of publications mistakenly call the agapanthus in cultivation A. africanus. This is almost certainly incorrect. A. africanus is a winter rainfall plant and is difficult in cultivation, needing very well-drained soil, hot, dry summers and wet winters. Practically all the evergreen agapanthus in cultivation in the world, are hybrids or cultivars of A. praecox."

There has been some recent discussion about Callery pear, one of the sleeper weeds. Comment includes "MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE STANDARDS Part 25 Plant Species for Urban Landscape Projects does indeed recommend these 4 Callery Pears for planting, also other invasive plants like Hakea salicifolia, Gleditsia Honey Locust varieties, Golden Rain Tree, and probably others - needs urgent review." Canberra Nature Map can contribute by recording invasive plants that are problems, s well as the sleeper weeds.

Thanks Mike - yes there is nothing like actual evidence - it seems that our City Landscapers and nurseries wish to continue their blissfully ignorant ways and not think of the consequences of their plantings becoming weedy and will only act when a plant has become a weed, which it is actually almost too late - so the sooner we can show a case of weediness the better, but we can also hope that the the profession is bothered enough to take on the science of weed risk assessment. As you can tell I am a bit bitter and twisted by the responses I have had locally.