Researchers in South Africa are searching for natural enemies to control invasive brambles. These thorny shrubs in the Rubus genus arrived from North America and Europe in the early 1900s. Known locally as braam, ijingijolo, or monoko-metsi, they have spread widely as a problem weed.
Importing a plant's natural enemies is a tested way to control invasive weeds without heavy herbicide use. Brambles crowd out native plants and make farmland and waterways harder to use. Finding a targeted biological control could restore land affordably while protecting crops, grazing areas, and local biodiversity.
✦ Sometimes the best weedkiller is a natural enemy, found with care.