Arum lilies banned from sale

31/8/06

Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance said the sale of arum lily plants would be banned in Western Australia from tomorrow, in an effort to prevent any further spread of the invasive and poisonous weed.
Mr Chance said that under the State's Declared Plants list, an existing ban was already in place in parts of the South-West and had now been extended State-wide.
The September 1 deadline had been set with the Nursery and Garden Industry WA in February, to enable sufficient lead-time for nurseries to sell existing stocks of plants.
"In the South-West, arum lily has invaded thousands of hectares of pasture paddocks, forest and wetlands, requiring massive efforts by property owners and communities to clear it," the Minister said.
"There have also been a number of cases of child poisoning in Australia, and it is harmful to pets and livestock. Every part of this plant is toxic."
Mr Chance said the ban applied to the trading or selling of arum lily plants from all nursery and retail outlets, as well as weekend markets and other casual outlets such as fetes.
The movement of arum lily plants or their seeds anywhere in Western Australia was also prohibited.
The plant's new declared weed status throughout WA applied to all of its named cultivars and varieties including 'Childsiana', 'Green Goddess', 'Pink Marshmallow' and 'Pink Mist'.
The Minister said arum lilies could continue to be sold as cut flowers, as this reduced the plant's seed production and presented a much smaller risk of it spreading.
"Home gardeners will not have to remove their existing arum lily plants, but they will not be allowed to plant any more," he said.
"The State Government is making decisions to enhance WA's unique lifestyle."
Minister's office - 9213 6700