BEE keepers are being warned that the pretty African tulip tree is wiping out native bees, with Landcare warning people to get rid of the introduced species.
In the central NSW coastal district of Bonny Hills, residents are working hard to educate the community on the dangers posed by the African tulip.
While the tree might look visually appealing, it's causing the area's bee population to suffer.
Bonny Hills Landcare member Fred Love said Australian native bees were vital to the environment as they contributed to agricultural production through the pollination of crop plants.
Unfortunately, the tulip could prove fatal to the species' existence.
"The pollen is fatally toxic to native bees and whole colonies and hives have been wiped out by exposure to these flowers," Mr Love said.
"Look inside any African tulip flower and the chances are that you will see a litter of corpses, with one or two barely-alive bees wandering drunkenly about," he said.
The Queensland Agriculture Department agrees, saying the highly invasive tulip is a serious environmental weed in coastal Queensland, where they form dense stands in gullies and along streams, crowding out native vegetation.
"African tulip trees are extremely harmful to native stingless bees and a public safety hazard (when these trees are planted along footpaths, their dropped flowers can create a slippery walking surface)," the department warns.
It is illegal to sell or give away tulips and all reasonable steps must be taken to get rid of the plant.
Bonny Hills residents Bill Howell, Judy Love and Jim Marchment want to raise awareness about the tulip, as they say many people are not aware that it is a noxious weed.
Last week they inspected an African tulip at Bonny Hills where they found multiple dead bees in its flowers.
Jim Marchment is a local beekeeper in the area who has seen first hand the impact the tulip can have on bees.
He said many colonies had been wiped out or weakened because of the tree.
To combat the issue, Landcare members are promoting a weed swap initiative, in partnership with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.
Estelle Gough from Port Macquarie Landcare said people could obtain a free native plant to replace any weeds in their garden.
They are required to take a before and after photo of the weed and then take the evidence to Landcare.
