There was a small population of Mauritius Hemp (Furcraea foetida) plants on Ian and Lynda Hannam’s property, which was featured on the preceding pages. As a bush regenerator, I was engaged by Ian and Lynda (thanks to funding via the City of Gold Coast’s Nature Conservation Assistance Program) to help the Hannams control these weeds before they spread further.
Mauritius Hemp and other similar spiky succulents are extremely hardy, fibrous, strong and have sharp leaf tips. They have an extensive root system and produce saponins that can be toxic to humans.
There are a number of ways to treat Mauritius Hemp including sheet mulching, digging up the plant including the entire root system and the cut-stump method. Due to the extensive root system, if you do decide to dig up the plant, you must continue to treat the re-shoots.
I decided to use the cut-stump method with herbicide application on the Hannam’s property.
Before I started tackling the Mauritius Hemp, I made sure I was wearing the appropriate clothing including long-sleeved shirt, long pants and thick gloves. I also made sure that my ears and eyes were protected as Mauritius Hemp leaf tips are quite dangerous and I did not want to injure myself.
I carefully cut the sharp leaf tips off the plants and trimmed the leaves using a handsaw. I then cut the main trunk down to the base and applied approved herbicide as per the label. Seek advice from your Land for Wildlife Officer on the best method to control Mauritius Hemp if you have them on your property.
Cut Mauritius Hemp leaves and stems do not tolerate prolonged heat, so by using the cut-stump method with herbicide, the herbicide absorbed quickly into the plant and the summer heat also helped breakdown the plant quickly. I was able to see that the plants were breaking down and dying after about a month. I will continue to monitor this area and watch for any regrowth and treat the re-shoots if necessary.
PLEASE NOTE: This article was first produced with the incorrect identification of these plants as Yucca (Yucca aloifolia) – this has since been corrected in this online blog – unfortunately the hard copy and pdf of this edition contain the incorrect identification.
Article and photos by Clare Gray
Lower Beechmont Restoration Specialist