Common names: Lippia, Carpetweed, Fog fruit, No mow grass, Phyla
While researching ground covers for our de-lawned verge, I googled 'Lippia' as I know it to form a hardy, dense lawn-like mat. All true and very pretty. Unfortunately, this South American plant, which used to be recommended for bank stabilization, has taken over huge sections of the Murray-Darling river system and chokes out even tree saplings. It spreads by seed and fragments, secreting toxic substances, that lead to the degradation of soil and water and displacement of native plant species.
It is a perennial, broadleaf herb, with grey-green leaves 10 to 20 mm long. You've no doubt seen it in a few gardens as in recent times its gaining in popularity. Each tiny leaf has 2 or 3 serrations on each side. Lippia produces numerous small, round, white or lilac flowers. The plant has a taproot up to 2 metres deep. In river or creek bank situations these large taproots act like wedges and will actually cause large sections of the bank to break away and fall into the waterway.It has been marketed as a low maintenance “no-mow” turf, and is now found in many household lawn situations. It out-competes all native vegetation including tree seedlings.
I’m not taking the risk so will solarise the seedlings we have and inform the nursery which sold it. Any suggestions for another hardy, dense lawn-like mat?
Sources: North West Weeds, University of Arizona
I bought this LIPPIA LAWN plant myself... I live on 25 acres in a wetland area of WA.. Lucky for me I read up on all the plants I buy and when I saw what damage it has done interstate I took it back to BUNNINGS
ReplyDeleteROCKINGHAM and told the girl at the counter what I had found out, backing it up with a printout of my findings - I told her the plants should be taken from sale and destroyed, but she just said "people like
to use it as a ground cover or lawn substitute" I said "well they
shouldn't!" but she just said, "well that's up to them isn't it! :p"
I was very shocked and disappointed at her total lack of interest, but as she
is only one person in the store I wrote to the store it's self as well
as Wesfarmers head office and the agricultural department, because I don't
think I'm over reacting that this is a MAJOR risk to the farmers of Western Australia! However I have received NO response from ANYONE three days later. I simply cannot understand why no one seems to care?
I suppose ten years down the track when it's taken over millions of hectares of our good farmland someone in a higher office will question why nothing was ever done about it before it got to this stage?.. but of course it will all be too late by then. :(
There are two species of Lippia (Phyla) to be considered. Lippia nodiflora is not considered a weed and should be the one sold in nurseries as a ground cover or lawn replacement. It has greyish hairy leaves that are sharply toothed on the upper margin. Lippia canescens is the serious weed and should not be sold anywhere. Leaves generally with out hairs and leaf stalk absent or short.
DeleteYou need to contact these people to make a difference.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/weeds/profiles/view-noxious-weed?show_extra=n&weed_id=79&sq_content_src=%252BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3dpLmFncmljLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZ0b29scyUyRnZpZXd3ZWVkLmh0bWwmYWxsPTE%253D
It depends on where you plant this groundcover. In dry hot southern California it makes a good drought resistant groundcover. With little rain or water it survives well but does not get invasive at all.
ReplyDeleteIt depends on where you plant this groundcover. In dry hot southern California it makes a good drought resistant groundcover. With little rain or water it survives well but does not get invasive at all.
ReplyDeleteThe backyard was never regularly mowed or watered so this is all thats left of the 'lawn'... low maintenace yet attracts many bees and possibly bindis
ReplyDeleteThe backyard was never regularly mowed or watered so this is all thats left of the 'lawn'... low maintenace yet attracts many bees and possibly bindis
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