New Zealand Celsias

Under an agreement between government agencies, regional councils and the nursery industry, thirteen plants have been confirmed as pests and added to a list of species that are illegal to propagate, distribute or sell.

The agreement – the National Pest Plant Accord (NPPA) - was created in 2001 to help prevent the spread of invasive plant species through the nursery trade or casual trading.

Government agencies with biosecurity responsibilities (Ministry for Primary Industries – MPI, Department of Conservation and regional councils) and the Nursery and Garden Industry Association (NGIA) are all parties to the Accord.

Plants of concern are identified by the parties, members of the public and a technical advisory group.  Following consideration by a group of technical specialists, extensive discussion by a representative group of Accord members and public consultation, agreed species are added to the register.

All plants on the NPPA register are unwanted organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993 and cannot be sold, distributed or actively propagated.   Existing plants are, however, allowed on private properties.  All listed plants are considered invasive species and threaten New Zealand’s existing plant life.

The plants recently added to the register are:

Scientific name                                 Common name(s)

Asparagus plumosus                      asparagus fern

Carex pendula                                   drooping sedge, Otahuna sedge

Cestrum aurantiacum                    orange cestrum

Cestrum elegans                              red cestrum

Cestrum fasciculatum                    red cestrum, early jessamine

Cestrum nocturnum                       queen of the night

Clerodendrum trichotomum       clerodendrum

Juglans ailantifolia                            Japanese walnut

Kennedia rubicunda                       dusky coral pea, coral pea, running postman

Maytenus boaria                              Chilean mayten, mayten, maiten

Passiflora apetala                             bat-wing passion flower

Pithecoctenium crucigerum        monkey’s comb, monkey’s hairbrush

Polypodium vulgare                        polypody, common polypody

All species in the NPPA species list, including the new additions, are in the 2012 NPPA manual which can be accessed online 

The updated manual will also be available in hard copy form from regional councils nationwide by the end of August 2012.

Since its establishment in 2001, the National Pest Plant Accord species list has been through two reviews, one in 2006 and another completed recently which began in 2011.   The thirteen new additions were identified through this review.

A summary of submissions to the latest review is at: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/biosec/consult/archive.

Members of the public can make a submission to have plants considered for inclusion/exclusion on the Accord.