Be on the Lookout for Plant Pest

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is urging gardeners who recently purchased a Callisia Pink Lady plant from Bunnings to return it for a full refund.

This plant, otherwise known as Callisia repens, is present in other States but is a prohibited plant in Western Australia, due to its potential to create serious environmental problems.

It was imported by a WA nursery, and then sold through Bunnings. DPIRD is further investigating the entry of these seedlings into WA, but the immediate focus has been retrieving plants which have been sold. The plant would have been sold from the Indoor Collective Range in a 180mm pot for $11.99.

Callisia repens is a long-lived herbaceous plant with creeping stems forming dense mats of vegetation. Its leaves are densely clustered along the stems, but gradually become smaller and more distant from each other along the flowering stems. These small leaves (1-4 cm long) are usually green, often with numerous tiny purple spots or purplish margins. It has small white flowers.

Stem segments and seeds from this plant can be spread in dumped garden waste, and may also be dispersed by water, so the department is urging people to return the plant and not dispose of it. They can visit their nearest Bunnings store or call DPIRD on 9368 3080 to arrange collection.