Biological control of parrot’s feather in North America
Parrot’s feather, Myriophyllum aquaticum, is a very popular garden and ornamental plant and has a long history of invasion worldwide. It was first recorded in Canada in 1980 from British Columbia and has since been recorded in the Lower Mainland and in the USA. Parrot’s feather forms dense impenetrable mats which affect stream flow, resulting in reduced native species’ richness at local scales, reduced water quality and habitat quality for fish and wildlife, and impacts on agro-infrastruture such as irrigation as well as human activities. Due to the negative impacts, management of this species is required, and a sustainable option is biological control. A biological control programme against parrot’s feather is already well-developed in South Africa and this project aims to investigate the potential for use in western North America.