Hudson Pear – Invasive Cactus Species

What began as a backyard plant in the late 1960s, the thorny Hudson pear cactus has spread to completely blanket 100,000 hectares of grazing land near Lightning Ridge in western New South Wales, rendering it unusable for pastoral activity and crippling the livelihoods of local farmers.

The aggressively fast-growing cactus species of Mexican origin is a critical hazard to biodiversity. With its prickly spines causing severe injuries to both humans and animals.? Likewise, projections show that if the initial infestation cannot be significantly reduced, cost to NSW could be in excess of $500 million. There is also an added fear that Hudson pear will make its way into the Murray-Darling Basin, causing major issues for the community at large throughout NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

Read the full article here: https://www.iconyx.com/2020/11/18/hudson-pear-invasive-cactus-species/