Waiheke is waging war on weeds, but there’s an amnesty on pesky plants.
Gardeners can turn in "wanted" plants at the Waiheke Transfer Station for free from 5 to 25 May.
That’s bad news for agapanthus, bamboo, climbing asparagus, gorse, ginger, moth plant, madeira vine, old man’s beard, tradescantia, agave, yucca, phoenix, fan palm, you name it, but great news for the environment.
But no matter what you think – flax is not on the list.
Gardeners should be careful not to mix other refuse in with pest plants. Non-pest plants won't be taken, and anything dumped cannot contain soil, stones and rocks, or anything longer than two metres.
The weed amnesty is run on a biannual basis to support pest plant control on Waiheke. The free offer is limited to cars, trailers and utes.
All other plants not listed are generally accepted in the green waste for free. If there is an issue with acceptance, you can confirm it is a known pest plant and it meets the criteria – being under 2m and has no soil.
