Try growing: anything but Lantana!

It's been a while, sorry, but things have been busy. And this is actually a post about a plant that you definitely don't want in your garden, or anywhere nearby. However, if you do have it, please be aware that it actually makes good habitat for small birds and needs to be removed with care.

Yes, the plant is Lantana (Lantana camara). A fast-growing woody shrub with prickly stems and poisonous foliage, flowers and fruit, Lantana has been declared as a Weed of National Significance. Rarely planted in gardens today, it is widespread in natural areas and often present on private property too. On larger properties and acreages, Lantana can be abundant.

Lantana camara flowers and leaves. Image by Alvesgaspar,
shared under Creative Commons license CC-BY-SA-3.0.

If you have Lantana on your property, or support bush regeneration in an area where it's prevalent, you'll be interested in this new paper on bird-friendly ways to remove Lantana. It was authored by local Bushcare champion Julie Marlow, with input from other Bushcare champs working around the Wollongong area. And it presents some useful strategies for removing Lantana bit by bit, replacing it as you go with native plants that provide suitable habitat for small birds.

Wendy Midgely from Midges Bush Restoration showing an image
of Lantana that has been pruned into a hedge shape to prevent
it from flowering or fruiting too heavily, while still providing
protection for small birds and nearby bushland. 

Annie Marlow, co-presenting the paper.

Have a read. And then please provide feedback! Julie's contact details are included in the paper.

Thank you!