Focus on Crow Garlic in Uplands Park & Cattle Point – Invading the Meadows

Update from Margaret Lidkea :

CROW GARLIC

Crow garlic is invading the meadows of Uplands Park.  The garlic bulbs, not tasty, are crowding out bulbs and roots of native plants.  The bulbs produce bulblets and the flowers make seeds and bulblets.  Nothing eats it.
This is an extremely invasive plant.  It probably arrived in Victoria from Europe or Asia accidentally with other seeds.

No strategies for removal have been developed.  An experimental removal of the plant in Uplands Park by pulling it up in June to get the main bulb has resulted in fewer and smaller plants.

Last year many plants were pulled on Cattle Point and in the central meadow.  In 2019 plants were again removed.  Volunteers have been essential do this time consuming removal.

University of Victoria international students from the City University of Hong Kong have helped in both areas.  Many thanks to them and volunteers, Felicity Bradley, Betty Thacker, Ryan Blacoe, Ron Carter, Jacquie Bird, Famiko Yamaguchi, Nick Blumberg and Conway Carruthers for 18 hours of work.  Margaret has also removed it from Cattle Point for over 15 hours.

Cattle Point maritime meadows and rocky areas are virtually free of crow garlic plants.  Shrubby areas are still full of it.   Alas not all bulbs are able to be pulled because of the clay soil and the compaction of the soil by so many visitors over the years.  Visitors should consider rock hopping.

Remember:  NOTHING IS TO BE REMOVED FROM OAK BAY PARKS WITHOUT PERMISSION.

You can join the Friends of Uplands Park on days that are arranged, or contact Margaret to arrange your own date with permission.   People that are pulling crow garlic and leaving it in piles are really distributing seeds and bulblets and more invasive plants

Remember you can help by joining Friends of Uplands Park.