Community News

Mickey Mouse Plant on the Loose!

cvi   Mickey Mouse Plant, or Ochna serrulata, is invading bushland in the Lower Clarence! Ochna has been planted extensively in gardens and as hedges throughout Maclean. The attractive yellow flowers, followed by bright red calyx surrounding the shiny black fruits, give it its name of Mickey Mouse Plant. Unfortunately these fruits are very attractive to birds and as a result the plant has been spread throughout areas of natural bush. It is now a notorious environmental weed. It is very difficult to control and occurs in dense stands up to 3m tall. Maclean Landcare Group Inc. will be holding an Ochna Control workshop at 29A Roderick St Maclean on Tuesday 24th November 2015 at 10am. Everyone concerned and involved in weed control in natural areas and on private land is encouraged to come. This workshop is part of a 3 year “Forest Linkages” project currently being undertaken by Maclean Landcare Group, and supported by the NSW government Environmental Trust. Come along to our workshop and learn about the various treatment methods used to control this environmental weed. We will have professional bush regenerators to demonstrate the various techniques and discuss their effectiveness. A recommended treatment guide will be compiled and distributed after the workshop.