Thread: Pattersons' Curse
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Old 16-10-2008, 02:26 PM posted to aus.gardens
giovani[_5_] giovani[_5_] is offline
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Default Pattersons' Curse
wrote:
On Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:07:04 +0800, "Linda"
wrote:

Least I think that's what it is!
I was driving past a meadow of deep purple (my favourite colour)
anywho I stopped, took a cutting and I am now told it's Patterson's Curse!
I have a HUGE garden so there's plenty of room.
How bad is this delightful flower?

Linda

Yep, it sure is a beaut colour.

But don't praise it too loudly in farming areas, where they spend
untold amounts, to no avail it seems, to get rid of it.

You may get lynched for propogating it further.

Many a farm paddock is completely overrun with it.

Yep ... you should see those paddocks in the Swan Shire just north of
Perth where appropriate control measures have not been taken. Looks
pretty, but has ruined a lot of pasture paddocks. It is a declared
"noxious weed".

Having just spent three weeks helping a friend clean this rubbish off
the hay and pasture on his farm (and this is a three year effort before
you can be reasonably sure the land is clean, I can support the "lynch
'em" reaction to anyone propagating this stuff Patterson's Curse
strangles other worthwhile plants and can be poisonous to stock. Seeds
picked up from adjacent proprties can be dropped back on your clean land
by birds and foxes.

However, better than I can put it:
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/content/PW/WEED/DECP/patersons_curse_fn.pdf
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/content/PW/WEED/DECP/patersons_curse_fn.pdf
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2007/may/19227.htm
http://www.seedquest.com/News/releases/2007/may/19227.htm

Apologies for coming on a bit strong, but while I too think the flowers
pretty, and can remember wondering back in the 1960s at the beauty of
the purple hills north of Adelaide, this plant is up there with the
weeds strangling waterways etc. It is loved by beekeepers for
production of quality honey, but is loathed by farm folk. Once
established, it is extremely difficult to eradicate.

avagoodone
giovani
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