Weeds on the move

April 2002. Papua New Guinea mentioned that under the auspices of the PNG-Japanese Parliamentary League, a Japanese parliamentarian intends to bring into PNG, 20 Japanese cherry trees (Nihon zakura) to plant, marking the inaugural direct flight between Port Moresby and Tokyo by Air Niugini. The intended introduction will be brought in as bare-root whole plants measuring up to 1.5 m in height.

Other than fumigation using methyl bromide (rate 32 g per cubic metre @ 21⁰C or above for 3 hours) with roots well covered by moist material, i.e., moist newspaper, to avoid severe injuries that may be caused by fumigation, it was mentioned that the Asian cherry has become established and is spreading as a major weed in northern New Zealand.