Date : 18 October 2025

Start time : 09:00

End time : 11:00

What exactly is Paterson curse, you ask?

This month, fields and pavements across Cape Town are filled with the lilac-flowering Paterson’s Curse.

(Echium plantagineum). Paterson’s Curse comes from the Mediterranean region of Europe, it is thought to have arrived in Cape Town during a pit-stop of a vessel from the UK destined for Australia during the late 1700s. These vessels often carried livestock and feed which may have been contaminated with Paterson’s curse seeds.

Beekeepers believe that the flowers of this plant are very important for bees and the honey industry but despite being toxic to horses, Patterson’s curse destroys indigenous plants, such as fynbos, by poisoning the soil with a deadly alkaloid toxin preventing any further growth by other plants except itself it also causes skin irritation and allergies and ultimately contributes to soil erosion.

A single plant can produce as many as 5 000 seeds which can amount to as many as 30 000 seeds per square metre. It has a six-year incubation period and, if not pulled out, will spread in huge swathes. The seeds are primarily distributed by wind.

According to Invasive Species South Africa, Patterson’s curse is listed as a category 1 invader plant, according to the Conservation of Agriculture Resources Act of 1983, meaning plants must be removed and destroyed immediately and trading of the plant is prohibited.

Its been nearly three years since a Bothasig resident discovered rare fynbos flowers growing in the Batavia Street public open space, he approached the Recreation and Parks Department with a request to stop mowing an open field in their area due to the rare flowers sighted there, ecologists immediately visited the site to investigate, the site has since been registered as fynbos area of concern and a "Friends of Batavia Street Fynbos Area" has been formed.

To manage the area regular de-weeding needs to be done, so come join us in removing some Paterson curse, Devils thorn and also pick up some litter.

Because of the nature of Patersons curse it is suggested you bring some gardening gloves, long pants, water and a hat in case it gets hot.

Plastic bags will be supplied.

Cache In Trash Out^® Events

Cache In Trash Out^® is an ongoing environmental initiative supported by the worldwide geocaching community. Since 2002, geocachers around the world have been dedicated to improving parks and other cache-friendly places.