As in other parts of the world, we have quite a strong movement in Australia towards growing decorative plants that are native, thus reducing the risks of alien introductions escaping into local waterways and wetlands. With Australia we have one small anomaly; while politically the land mass is one country, geographically it is a continent, a vast expanse that is difficult for Europeans like me to comprehend without having experienced it. This poses the question, “Is a plant found naturally in the Kimberley that escapes from cultivation in southern Queensland, and then establishes locally in waterways, a native or an alien?” It is certainly a long way from home. 

The environment and ecology are likely to be completely different, but the plant is still Australian. How are we judging our “natives” and invasives when such a large land mass is involved--natural geographical areas, or those created artificially by man? This gives us something to think about.

Any time the Department of Agriculture discovers banned plants, it recommends their removal from the pond and drying out on newspaper. When the plants are dead, it advises that they should be buried or disposed of with other green waste in accordance with Council bye-laws. This method of desiccating plants does not work with Horsetails, and advice should be sought from the Department of Agriculture upon finding such plants. In demonstrating the importance of complying with regulations, the Department recently stated that the local taxpayer had to foot a bill of AUD$250,000 to remove a rapidly spreading population of Hydrocotyle, a garden pond escape, from the Canning River.

Although we have, as in most parts of the world, many ill-informed people when it comes to the importance of wetlands and their conservation, in Australia we are experiencing a fast-growing appreciation of the beauty and value of the native aquatic flora. Much of this is thanks to the efforts of those who promote the annual Ramsar World Wetlands Day activities in early February. Australians have taken wetlands to their heart and we always have plenty going on during the first week in February to capture interest and imagination.

While not a plant for other than the enthusiastic water gardener with plenty of room in a tropical climate, it is a fascinating wetland species, as was demonstrated by the Humpty Doo workshop. Aboriginal peoples still extensively use the foliage of this plant for weaving, especially beautiful decorative baskets, of both functional and ceremonial kinds.

Having said that Pandanus spiralis requires plenty of room and a tropical climate, and indicated its probable cultivation solely by the enthusiast, I could almost be echoing what I said about Victoria amazonica in my Waterlilies book published in 1983. Who would have thought then that Victoria could have become as popular as it is today amongst regular water gardeners? Maybe the Screw Pine also has a future in tropical gardens. It is certainly a very fine plant when cultivated, compared with when seen growing in tangled populations in the wild.