Singapore Daisy (Sphagneticola trilobata) is an aggressive, highly invasive fast-growing ground cover that has spread rapidly in many coastal and creekside areas, including Peregian Creek. Left unchecked, it outcompetes native plants, reducing biodiversity and altering the natural habitat.
The Peregian Creek Bushcarers have worked to remove Singapore Daisy from the area around the creek bridge for many years. Read the full story on the The-Saga-of-Singapore-Daisy-Along-Peregian-Creek-
By targeting this invasive species, we’ve been able to create space for native plants to grow and start to restore a healthy, thriving ecosystem.
Key benefits of clearing Singapore Daisy include:
- Restoring biodiversity: Removing the invasive species allows native plants, like midgim, to grow freely, offering critical food sources and habitats for local wildlife.
- Improving soil and water quality: Native plants help stabilize the soil, reduce erosion, and maintain the quality of water flowing through the creek, which is vital for the health of the entire ecosystem.
Lessons Learned and Tips
For other bushcarers with a Singapore daisy problem, here are some lessons learned and best practices that have helped in the ongoing efforts at Peregian Creek:
- Early Detection and Removal are key to maintaining control over any Singapore daisy invasion. It’s important to monitor areas regularly to catch any new growth of Singapore daisy before it has a chance to spread.
- Follow-up Monitoring and Removal after the initial clearing is essential. Singapore Daisy can sneak back, regrowing from remaining stolons, particularly in muddy sites.
- Hand Weeding is the common method for removal of Singapore daisy but care should be taken to ensure that root nodules are removed, not just the leaves and stolons. This may require tracing back along the stolons to the main root. In hard ground a small mattock is useful in digging out the roots. The weed should be removed in bags or piled up and sprayed with weedicide.
- Weedicides such as Metsulphuron can be highly effective in selectively killing off Singapore daisy while affecting very few native plant species. But particular care is needed in the vicinity of Casuarina and Banksia species, which are highly sensitive to the weedicide. The Metsulphuron may also be used to spray piles of the removed weed. A foliar spray of Glyphosate may also be used to kill patches of Singapore daisy, provided no native species are in the nearby vicinity.
- Solarization using Black Plastic was tried to kill off Singapore daisy in-situ or to kill off the weed that had been removed. The former method proved ineffective except for isolated patches of the weed that could be completely covered. It was very effective in killing and drying out Singapore daisy that was piled up on and then covered by black plastic, However, it took about a month for the process and was not suitable for large amounts unless adequate open space was available for the solarization.
By creating space for native plants to establish themselves, the work done by the bushcarers not only enhances the immediate area but also helps improve the health of the broader ecosystem. Over time, the area around the creek bridge will continue to evolve into a more biodiverse environment, supporting a wider variety of plants and animals.
How You Can Help
If you are interested in supporting these efforts, there are many ways to get involved:
Join our working bees – the first and third Saturday of each month from February – November Regular group workdays are an excellent opportunity to pitch in and help clear invasive species, replant natives, or monitor cleared areas.
Spread the word – Educate others about the importance of removing invasive species and protecting our natural environment.
Peregian Creek – native vegetation growth after removal of Singapore Daisy