A Western Australian shire has moved to eradicate a popular, waterwise garden plant from public spaces saying its dangerous, skin-piercing spikes and poisonous sap is a risk to human safety.
The Shire of Capel said the Agave americana, or century plant, a succulent that has become a garden staple, is now an invasive and dangerous plant in the region's bushland, roadsides, and urban areas.
The local government, two hours south of Perth, said work would begin to remove the plant from public spaces and urged the community to follow suit.
"The large leaves have a heavy spike that is a significant human, pet, and native animal safety hazard," the shire said in a statement.
"The sap from the leaves is a major irritant and the long sharp spines at the end of the leathery leaves can pierce to the bone.
"The Shire of Capel will soon be removing agaves from where the public has planted them on our reserves, [we are] asking people who have planted agaves on their road verge to remove them."
Staff also called on the community to exercise caution when removing the plant.
"People who have planted them in their front yards where their leaves reach out into the footpath and road verge area are also being asked to remove these plants," the statement said.
"Small plants can be manually removed, but larger plants need to be cut off and the stumps treated with herbicide as they will re-shoot from any roots left in the ground.
"Use protective clothing when removing the plants as they contain a sap that is toxic to humans and a major skin irritant."
A shire spokesperson said staff were unavailable for interview to elaborate on the reasons behind the move.
'Really, really mean' plant
Horticulturalist Steve Wood said cracking down on the plants was a sensible decision and stated that they "were not worth the risk".
He said he learnt the hard way after a "foolish" attempt to remove one from his own yard.
"I had a couple, but they got too big too quickly," he said.
"So I grabbed the chainsaw on a summer's day and a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and tried to take it out, and this juice and sap went all over my legs and my arms. I came up in these massive welts.
"I was on antihistamines for a couple of weeks and just in agony. They were really itchy and quite painful for 10 to 14 days. It was tough."
Mr Wood said the plant become popular in the 1960s due to its hardy nature.
"They are really, really mean. They're indestructible," he said.
"They are native throughout Mexico and Texas and they will grow without any water over the whole summer period.
"So, there's really nothing that kills them. They're quite spectacular to look at, you just don't want to get too close."
Don't confuse with 'gentle giant'
The Shire of Capel and Mr Wood both stressed that the community should not confuse the plant with its friendlier and more popular relative, the Agave attenuata, or foxtail.
"It's quite soft to the touch with big leaves, quite fleshy, and has been around for decades," Mr Wood said.
"It's common in many, especially older homes, but no spikes in the middle.
"They're really just a gentle giant to have in the garden and a real pleasure to have around."
