Invasive Species Council urges ban on popular 'sweet pea' sold at Bunnings
The Invasive Species Council has nominated Polygala myrtifolia, sold as “sweet pea,” as a major weed threatening Australia’s coastal ecosystems.
Polygala myrtifolia, marketed under names such as “sweet pea,” “Bellerine pea” and “parrot bush,” is rapidly colonising Australia’s southern coastal dunes, prompting the Invasive Species Council to label it one of the country’s most serious weeds. Policy director Carol Booth warned that the dense shrub layer displaces native flora and deprives wildlife of habitat. The plant remains available in Bunnings and other garden centres, which say they sell hybrid varieties and will keep monitoring regulations.
Volunteer groups like Nepean Peninsula Landcare describe the weed as dominant on the Mornington Peninsula, calling it “the beast.” Removal is labor-intensive, and chemical treatment is costly, leading the council and volunteers to seek a biological control agent from the plant’s native range. Booth also called for an update to the federal Weeds of National Significance list to include milkwort and other invasive plants, noting that Australia’s weed problem is a major land-management and conservation burden.
Why it matters
The spread of a widely sold ornamental plant threatens native coastal habitats and biodiversity across Australia.
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