Aussie gardener's invasive plant warning: 'Destroying their surroundings'

An avid gardener is urging Aussies to immediately “cut up and burn” a plant that became a popular feature at homes across the country during a “terrible trend” 20 years ago.

Yuccas, many varieties of which are known to have invasive root systems, were planted along poolsides and fence lines “by the millions between 2000 and 2010” because of their “modern” appearance, Steven from Zani’s Gardening — a horticulture blog based on Melbourne’s Mornington Peninsula — said.

However, years on, the resilient plants that feature long, thin, sharp leaves are now “destroying their surroundings”. In a TikTok video posted on Sunday, Steven shows two tall yucca trees, which are native to Mexico, roughly five metres high in a yard near his home.

“You can see the base of them are huge and they’re actually already lifting up the fence line and also exceeding the garden bed’s capacity and starting to go over the concrete,” he pointed out. “Don't plant these, please don’t plant them and don’t give them away either.”

Describing their roots as “wild”, the gardener said it is safer to plant yuccas in pots to limit their growth.

“You’re seriously better off to burn yuccas, just cut them off, chuck them out. Don’t give them to your nature strip for free, just get rid of them now,” Steven insisted. “Unfortunately unlike a hedge one can’t hack them back the base of the plant will just get bigger and bigger.”

Speaking to Yahoo News, Steven said yuccas can “destroy drain pipes, concrete and more”. “They are keeping arborists well busy,” he added.

Yucca root systems 'a nightmare'

Aussies have since flooded social media with stories of their own run-ins with yuccas, including one person who said their shovel snapped while they were trying to remove one from their property.

“We had yuccas in our front garden, took forever to remove them all. A family friend wanted some so she took a few clippings. She hired a tree removal company to remove them,” someone else commented.

“Our whole garden beds were full of yuccas when we moved in. I ripped them all out. The root system was a nightmare,” another person added.

A fourth person said a yucca plant growing too close to their home had broken the structure’s brick and gutters. Others claimed they would be ripping the plant out of their yards as soon as possible after learning of the damage they cause.

Steven told Yahoo he was stunned his TikTok has gained more than 100,000 views in just a matter of hours. “I always wondered if I was the only one that has a bee in their bonnet over them — apparently not!”

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Yuccas cause spike in ear injuries

In 2018, research revealed the yucca plant’s signature spike was the reason for an increase in gardening-related ear injuries. Over a five-year period, 28 people presented to the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne with ear injuries, a study published in the UK journal Clinical Otolaryngology claimed.

Ear, nose and throat surgeon Professor Stephen O'Leary told The ABC at the time one in seven patients suffered permanent hearing loss.

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