The most hatred weeds of Malta
Moderators: MWP admin, IL-PINE
The most hatred weeds of Malta
What are the most 5 wild plants that you dont like in Malta??
1st in your list get 5 points
2nd) 4 points
3rd) 3points, etc
At the end of we count all the points and make a ranking list!
=============================================
Here are the votes of MWP Admin!
5) Diplotaxis tenuifolia
For growing in my garden and pots, and then it is so damn difficult to remove it, unless you remove most of the soil around it. Additionally, its smell iritates me.
4) Oxalis pes-caprae
Instinctly I dont check patches of land which is occupied by pops of this plant as of course there is nothing interesting (though it makes nice carpets in Feb!)
3) Stipa capensis in April/May
It occupies whole fields and I really dislike its spear-shaped fruit penetrating my socks and slippers.
2) Rubus ulmifolius
Runner up becasue it is blocking many passages in narrow valleys, and leaves no space for other indigenous flora
1) Galactites tomentosa
Fast spreading, always on the increase (in my opinion), can grow quite high (1m), very spiny and annoying for the explorer, too much common, cant wear shorts in May/June, occupies whole fallow fields, I often end up sitting on one while photographing something.
1st in your list get 5 points
2nd) 4 points
3rd) 3points, etc
At the end of we count all the points and make a ranking list!
=============================================
Here are the votes of MWP Admin!
5) Diplotaxis tenuifolia
For growing in my garden and pots, and then it is so damn difficult to remove it, unless you remove most of the soil around it. Additionally, its smell iritates me.
4) Oxalis pes-caprae
Instinctly I dont check patches of land which is occupied by pops of this plant as of course there is nothing interesting (though it makes nice carpets in Feb!)
3) Stipa capensis in April/May
It occupies whole fields and I really dislike its spear-shaped fruit penetrating my socks and slippers.
2) Rubus ulmifolius
Runner up becasue it is blocking many passages in narrow valleys, and leaves no space for other indigenous flora
1) Galactites tomentosa
Fast spreading, always on the increase (in my opinion), can grow quite high (1m), very spiny and annoying for the explorer, too much common, cant wear shorts in May/June, occupies whole fallow fields, I often end up sitting on one while photographing something.
Last edited by MWP admin on Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Conchiolin
- Veteran member
- Posts: 222
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:20 am
- Location: Malta
Hey i can contribute to this one:
6.Dodder. It pis**** me off cause i hate parasitic plants. I can't stand them.
5.Diplotaxis Tenuifolia. Dude it's a stink bomb and it induces nausea.
4.Trapoleum maji. It's been bothering me lately. I saw some even in chadwick lakes area i hope it does'nt continue spreading.
3. Galactica Tomentosa. No need to mention why.
2. Oxalis pes Caprae. No need to mention why. Although the fact that a new species of orobanche (endemic) developed facinates me a lot.
1. Urtica dubia. I had a bad experience about this one. When i was in germany about 3 years ago. I got lost in this little forest and i fell in a stream and in order to climb back i had to grasp this horrible plant in order to pull myself out. So i was covered with mud + filled with toxins of this plant
I can't see one without ripping it off.
sad experience.
6.Dodder. It pis**** me off cause i hate parasitic plants. I can't stand them.
5.Diplotaxis Tenuifolia. Dude it's a stink bomb and it induces nausea.
4.Trapoleum maji. It's been bothering me lately. I saw some even in chadwick lakes area i hope it does'nt continue spreading.
3. Galactica Tomentosa. No need to mention why.
2. Oxalis pes Caprae. No need to mention why. Although the fact that a new species of orobanche (endemic) developed facinates me a lot.
1. Urtica dubia. I had a bad experience about this one. When i was in germany about 3 years ago. I got lost in this little forest and i fell in a stream and in order to climb back i had to grasp this horrible plant in order to pull myself out. So i was covered with mud + filled with toxins of this plant





no man needs a holiday as much as the man who just had one.
5) Ricinus communis: I hate this plant, and I didn't guess the quiz 
4) Acacia sp: are being planted everywhere, are increasing throughout and are causing a lot of allergies.
3) Oxalis pes-caprae: no need to state why.
2) Rubus ulmifolius: been on the increase in several valleys. hate it!
1) Galactites tomentosa - has been increasing rapidly. Seems that our local flora can become a pest!

4) Acacia sp: are being planted everywhere, are increasing throughout and are causing a lot of allergies.
3) Oxalis pes-caprae: no need to state why.
2) Rubus ulmifolius: been on the increase in several valleys. hate it!
1) Galactites tomentosa - has been increasing rapidly. Seems that our local flora can become a pest!
I think that if any indigenous plants are having a wild time, it's only because humans have created the habitat for it.
Otherwise they are living in the right place for them and are thus flourishing.
Remember that plants don't grow for our pleasure but for their own survival so if there is an opportunity they don't say "hey why don't we give a chance to that little plant here and that other one over there ehh so this field will be all pretty for the MWP posse" or "lets not grow over there ehh coz that's a pathway".
The aliens one is justified in disliking when they are highly successful.
I think that there are several alien species which are no good at all and which should be taken care of as far as possible. I think that Oxalis is a lost cause and in any case anything that could have been obliterated now has been but I think that there are other invasives that can be controlled with some effort.
My personal dislike is for Arundo donax, without this valley bottoms would be far more interesting. Don't think it's impossible to clear some valleys of this.
RB
Otherwise they are living in the right place for them and are thus flourishing.
Remember that plants don't grow for our pleasure but for their own survival so if there is an opportunity they don't say "hey why don't we give a chance to that little plant here and that other one over there ehh so this field will be all pretty for the MWP posse" or "lets not grow over there ehh coz that's a pathway".
The aliens one is justified in disliking when they are highly successful.
I think that there are several alien species which are no good at all and which should be taken care of as far as possible. I think that Oxalis is a lost cause and in any case anything that could have been obliterated now has been but I think that there are other invasives that can be controlled with some effort.
My personal dislike is for Arundo donax, without this valley bottoms would be far more interesting. Don't think it's impossible to clear some valleys of this.
RB
- Conchiolin
- Veteran member
- Posts: 222
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:20 am
- Location: Malta
hey i contributed to this topic so in a way i'm guilty.
I think the objective of this topic is to see what kind of plants we need to control or not help spreading. For example we shouldn't plant acacia trees becuase they are harmful even to people with asthma etc... I don't see anything dishonourable by saying which plants you don't like or plants you really like.
We're just expressing ourselves in a healthy way. We are by no means saying that these plants should be destroyed or anything we're ONLY saying:hey i don't like that cause it stinks or dude that plant is devouring our flora.
We usually go for hikes to observe nature and diversity. I don't want to go in a valley literally crammed and filled to the brim with rubus ulmifolius or trapoleum. I want to see orchids bees a myriad of insects visiting wild flowers and a nice pool of water with our painted frog not with another fat toad from mars.
I hope you get the point. And by the way RB did mention finally that a valley with less arundo donax would be perhaps more interesting.
I'm not angry or anything we're just discussing here. And by the way i don't really rip off urticaria dubia i was just bluffing right there.

I think the objective of this topic is to see what kind of plants we need to control or not help spreading. For example we shouldn't plant acacia trees becuase they are harmful even to people with asthma etc... I don't see anything dishonourable by saying which plants you don't like or plants you really like.
We're just expressing ourselves in a healthy way. We are by no means saying that these plants should be destroyed or anything we're ONLY saying:hey i don't like that cause it stinks or dude that plant is devouring our flora.
We usually go for hikes to observe nature and diversity. I don't want to go in a valley literally crammed and filled to the brim with rubus ulmifolius or trapoleum. I want to see orchids bees a myriad of insects visiting wild flowers and a nice pool of water with our painted frog not with another fat toad from mars.
I hope you get the point. And by the way RB did mention finally that a valley with less arundo donax would be perhaps more interesting.
I'm not angry or anything we're just discussing here. And by the way i don't really rip off urticaria dubia i was just bluffing right there.


no man needs a holiday as much as the man who just had one.
JP, I am under the impression that Arundo's origin is China or somewhere there?
I had started a thread about this plant and MWP had confirmed:
viewtopic.php?t=876
Is this correct?
I only know that nothing has a chance with this because it does not seem to have any natural enemies.
Pls advise...
RB
I had started a thread about this plant and MWP had confirmed:
viewtopic.php?t=876
Is this correct?
I only know that nothing has a chance with this because it does not seem to have any natural enemies.
Pls advise...
RB
RB: I reconfirm my statement, and maybe the term 'pest' was too hard, but this well-naturalised alien is doing more damage than good to our indigenous water-loving flora. Typha and a number of native Cyperaceae/Juncacea should take back its place in my opion.
JP, Calm down! This was just a simple questionare/in-house survey and it's nothing too serious (whom I sometimes get blamed for heh!) nor too critical (ref crazy, honorable and dishonrable etc). It's a fun post to see which are our disliked plants. I think no one or no plant will get hard-feeling for this topic. I do not intend to form an army and destroy the plants in this list
In one topics I recall you mentioned R.ulmifolius in its bad-sense* like we are posting here? so what's the problem ?

* "Horrible Rubus ulmifolius"
JP, Calm down! This was just a simple questionare/in-house survey and it's nothing too serious (whom I sometimes get blamed for heh!) nor too critical (ref crazy, honorable and dishonrable etc). It's a fun post to see which are our disliked plants. I think no one or no plant will get hard-feeling for this topic. I do not intend to form an army and destroy the plants in this list



* "Horrible Rubus ulmifolius"
nice topic MWP
My top hate is galactites tomentosa ever since I walked all the way from Ramla to Marsalforn expecting treasures on the clay slopes and all I got was galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa...and very little else.
A close second is rubus ulmifolius of course .... I dont really take much notice of no entry signs but when rubus is the author then I retreat in horror...the number of cotton track suit trousers i've ruined on this plant is numberless ....latest is wied incita where two years ago if you remember we just crept to the very end of the valley now this is impossible to do - unless you are prepared to suffer badly for it.
My top hate is galactites tomentosa ever since I walked all the way from Ramla to Marsalforn expecting treasures on the clay slopes and all I got was galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa, galactites tomentosa...and very little else.
A close second is rubus ulmifolius of course .... I dont really take much notice of no entry signs but when rubus is the author then I retreat in horror...the number of cotton track suit trousers i've ruined on this plant is numberless ....latest is wied incita where two years ago if you remember we just crept to the very end of the valley now this is impossible to do - unless you are prepared to suffer badly for it.
I am not offended. But ok, forget it- seems that I took this topic to serious-possibly, I got up on the wrong side of the bed. Although, remember that e.g. Galactites or others support other organism which support other organ which support other organism supporting organism like orchids or other species which never will be listed in his topic.
- Conchiolin
- Veteran member
- Posts: 222
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:20 am
- Location: Malta
Hey mr. IL-PINE what's so wrong about Mirabillis jalapa? I think it's a great plant. Is this plant invasive or anything? Its flowers are not horrible.
Can anybody tell me name of the plant in maltese i really forgot it!!
i think it was: 7 kuluri or something like that.
Can anybody tell me name of the plant in maltese i really forgot it!!
i think it was: 7 kuluri or something like that.
no man needs a holiday as much as the man who just had one.
The smaller-flowered (violet) Mirabilis can get invasive, it produces a lot of seeds, they sprout readily and the plant is a perennial with a very long lived carrot like root (x'jghidula bhalissa!!)
Very difficult to eradicate, even with systemic herbicides.
The more attractive one with larger multicoloured flowers does not seem to set much seed.
RB
Very difficult to eradicate, even with systemic herbicides.
The more attractive one with larger multicoloured flowers does not seem to set much seed.
RB
- Conchiolin
- Veteran member
- Posts: 222
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:20 am
- Location: Malta