JOIN THE ARUM LILY BLITZ

Arum lily is the most widespread, destructive weed in the Margaret River region.

It aggressively outcompetes native plants and replaces beautiful, diverse plant communities with dense arum lily monocultures. It reduces food availability and habitat for native wildlife and is poisonous to most stock, pets and people. It affects farmers’ livelihoods by endangering their animals and competing with pasture plants. It threatens the natural beauty and biodiversity on which the Margaret River region’s reputation and economy hinges.

Arum lily is an incredibly successful weed in our region, and without control would continue to spread. Coordinated, concerted and sustained action is required to manage this species to protect biodiversity, agricultural and landscape values.

The Arum Lily Blitz began in 2019 funded by the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program. Since that time local and state government agencies, active community organisations, and over 1,500 landholders have controlled arum lily on public and private land across the region.

Motivating and supporting shared management by landowners, volunteers and government agencies across thousands of hectares is a huge challenge. We are excited by the progress that has been made in the first four years of the Blitz. It is an inspiring whole of community effort.

At the end of 2021 Nature Conservation received the encouraging news that the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program would continue to fund the Arum Lily Blitz for a further three years. The Blitz is a long term campaign and there is still a lot of work needed. Please join us in controlling the most widespread, damaging weed in our beautiful region.

JOIN THE ARUM LILY BLITZ

Whether you own a large rural property, a bush block, or a house in the suburbs, we’re inviting everyone to get involved. We request that you register as a participant in the Blitz so we can let you know about assistance available, keep you informed on progress, and so we can track where arum lily control is being undertaken. This will allow us to recruit other properties in your area, improving efficiency and reducing the risk of reinfestation. It also demonstrates participant numbers to our funding bodies, helping our chances of future funding for ongoing work.

WANT TO GET STARTED?

The best time to control arum lily is when 50 to 70% of the plants are in flower. In our area that is usually in August to October. If you plan to undertake arum lily spraying yourself we can help by providing FREE HERBICIDE and instructions for use of chlorsulfuron for arum lily control. Please watch the video on how to spray arum lilies to ensure that you undertake the work in a way that minimises risks to yourself and the environment. If you prefer to outsource the job, follow the link below for a list of recommended contractors who we know to be experienced, thorough and careful.

We ask that you provide us with data on the spraying you do so that we can track progress and evaluate the success of the Blitz. The Herbicide Application Record can be used by you or your spray contractor to record the work done. Please email us a copy of this form each year. If you plan to be undertaking manual removal of arum lilies please go to the links below to watch a video and to learn more.

We recommend that you monitor the success of your control work by taking some before and after photos and there is information about this in the Guide to Arum Lily Control.

Instructions for use of chlorsulfuron for arum lily control

Information on free herbicide

List of recommended spray contractors

Herbicide application record