{"id":117530,"date":"2016-04-04T11:50:57","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T09:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/117530\/10-worst-alien-invasive-plants-aips\/"},"modified":"2016-04-04T11:50:57","modified_gmt":"2016-04-04T09:50:57","slug":"10-worst-alien-invasive-plants-aips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/lifestyle-news\/entertainment-news\/2016\/04\/04\/10-worst-alien-invasive-plants-aips\/","title":{"rendered":"10 worst alien invasive plants (AIPs)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are approximately 27 000 indigenous species in South Africa and 9 000 foreign plant species that have been introduced over the past few centuries. Of these 9 000 exotic or alien introductions, 348 have been identified as \u2018bad\u2019, ecologically damaging, invader plants.<\/p>\n<p>A total of 198 of the worst invasive alien plant species have been declared illegal weeds.<\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<h3>Categories of alien invasive plants (IAPs)<\/h3>\n<p>The 198 problem plants have been divided into three categories.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Category 1<\/strong><\/p><div class=\"stream-item stream-item-in-post stream-item-inline-post aligncenter\"><\/div>\n<p>These IAPs may no longer be grown anywhere in South Africa. If they are in your garden, they should be removed and destroyed immediately. Trade in these plants is prohibited.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102123\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102123\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/starr_060526-8115_macfadyena_unguis-cati.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-102123\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/starr_060526-8115_macfadyena_unguis-cati-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Cat's claw\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102123\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cat&#8217;s claw<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102121\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102121\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/solanum_mauritianum2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-102121\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/solanum_mauritianum2-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Bugweed\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102121\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bugweed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102111\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102111\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/Pampas-Grass-at-Myrtle-Beach-IMG-0433.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-102111 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/Pampas-Grass-at-Myrtle-Beach-IMG-0433-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Pampas Grass\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102111\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pampas grass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102119\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102119\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/correct-water-lettuce.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-102119\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/correct-water-lettuce-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Water lettuce\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102119\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Water lettuce<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102113\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102113\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/oleander.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-102113\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/oleander-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Oleander\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102113\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oleander<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102124\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102124\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/Indian-shot-correct.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-102124 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/Indian-shot-correct-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Indian shot (Canna lily)\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102124\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Indian shot (Canna)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102116\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102116\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/ginger-lily-correct.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-102116 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/ginger-lily-correct-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Ginger Lily\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102116\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ginger lily<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102117\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102117\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/fountain-grass-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-102117\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/fountain-grass-2-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain grass\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102117\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fountain grass<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"attachment_102118\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-102118\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/Cytisus-grandiflorus-Spanish-broom.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-102118\" src=\"https:\/\/albertonrecord.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/35\/2016\/04\/Cytisus-grandiflorus-Spanish-broom-520x400.jpg\" alt=\"Spanish broom\" width=\"520\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-102118\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Spanish broom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Category 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Primarily plants of commercial value to forestry and agriculture, these IAPs must be removed from suburban gardens and can only be grown with a permit in public spaces such as parks, schools and hospitals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Category 3<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These IAPs are permitted to grow where they already exist. However, no propagating, new planting or trade is permitted.<\/p>\n<h3>Why are IAPs a problem?<\/h3>\n<p>Invasive alien plants are highly adaptable, vigorous growers that easily invade a wide range of ecological niches. <strong>They:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Have invaded and taken over 10% of the country. This is well over 10 million hectares of land (or an area the size of KwaZulu-Natal).<\/li>\n<li>Use 7% of the water resources in South Africa. This is roughly the same amount of water needed by humans to survive in this country.<\/li>\n<li>Threaten our rich biodiversity by replacing indigenous and endemic vegetation. This will result in a loss of insect species that are dependent on these plants and the ripple-effect loss of the birds, reptiles and mammals that feed on those insects.<\/li>\n<li>Invade land better used for crops and livestock grazing.<\/li>\n<li>Are often toxic to man or animals.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/lifeisagarden.co.za\/\" target=\"_blank\">Life is a garden<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"stream-item stream-item-below-post-content\">\n<div class='tenancy_slot tenancy_slot_1 jannah_ad' style='display: none;' data-query-id='90b94350d9e3ba409f18983fa11cc64f'><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now is the time to check which of the 348 bad alien plants have invaded your garden and to get rid of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7782,"featured_media":117531,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hasGravity":false,"cxt_article_byline":"Caxton Central","cxt_disable_google_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3686],"tags":[10462,10463,10464,10465,10466,10467,10468,10469,10470,10471,10472],"class_list":["post-117530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment-news","category-lifestyle-news","tag-10-worst-alien-invasive-plants","tag-aips","tag-bugweed","tag-cats-claw","tag-fountain-grass","tag-indian-shot-canna","tag-lantana","tag-oleander","tag-pampas-grass","tag-spanish-broom","tag-water-lettuce"],"amp_enabled":true,"category_labels":{"Category":"Lifestyle","SubCategory":"Entertainment"},"tag_labels":["10 Worst alien invasive plants","AIPs","Bugweed","Cat's claw","Fountain grass","Indian shot (Canna)","lantana","Oleander","Pampas grass","Spanish broom","Water lettuce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7782"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117530"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117530\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}