I wrote a letter to Bunnings, asking them to withdraw sales of weed species from their hardware stores. They currently sell Duranta , mock orange and Sanseviera trifasciata, mother-in-law tongue at my local store in Brisbane.
Sanseviera trifasciata is listed on the Weeds Australia website (of the federal government’s weed advisory service), DAFF, the Queensland government department concerned with weeds; and the Brisbane City Council’s horticulture department. Duranta is listed on both the Weeds Australia and the BCC databases.
There are more. Alcontophoenix alexandrae, alex palm, is listed on Brisbane City Council’s weeds list where they bemoan it displacing the locally native Bangalow palm.
I asked a Bunning’s team member and her response was, “we know, but people still buy them”. I suggest those same people buy them assuming Bunnings holds more regard for the environment than they do.
We have beautiful Australian native plant species that can pollinate other natives,
Nicholas says
Great post.
Finn says
you should start a petition! You’d probably get a lot of traction.
David Taylor says
The Bunnings nursery compliance co-ordinator emailed me this afternoon to say he is preparing a detailed response. If he gives me spin I might do as you suggest. If he withdraws environmental weeds from sale, on the other hand, I won’t have to.
Ben Sims says
Like your work David, they should be pushing native species allot more than they do and they shouldn’t even be allowed to sell weeds. The staff should be educated in native species and their use in gardens and be encouraging the public to purchase them, if the native species were marketed better they would sell truckloads more of them.
Elliot says
I wholeheartedly agree with this letter. I also believe Bunnings should be responsible and remove systemic pesticides proven to be linked with CCD from shelves and (potential) nursery practices.
David Taylor says
Thanks for your support and for adding to the conversation, Elliot. I care about CCDs and honeybees too, especially since they pollinate a third of the food we eat.