Bunnings sold this weed. Here’s how to stop it seeding before the ban.

You have a purple-flowered shrub in your garden. The Invasive Species Council wants it banned, but Bunnings is still selling it. It’s Polygala myrtifolia—not sweet pea (Lathyrus), which is a vine. If your plant has tendrils or alternating leaves, stop. Take two photos (whole plant, close-up leaf and flower) and ask your council’s weeds team or a local plant ID group before you touch it. Wrong plant removed is worse than waiting three days for an answer.

What breaks first? The seeds. One missed flowering cycle means seedlings next season. Two misses mean a seed bank that runs for years. The fix is mechanical: stop the seeds leaving the plant this week.

What you actually have: - A shrub with opposite leaves and tight purple flower clusters. - Pruners, a plastic bag, and a bin.

Smallest thing that could possibly work (Lane 1 — always safe): 1. Deadhead every flower before the seed dries. Watch the flowers daily—you’ll see the shift from petal to seed. 2. Bag every scrap immediately. Seal it. Bin it as general waste. Don’t compost. Don’t green-waste. Don’t leave cuttings to “dry out.” 3. Isolate prunings. Don’t move them around the garden.

The bill on waiting: One missed cycle = seedlings next season. Two misses = years of pulling volunteers.

Lane 2 (eradication — gated): Before you dig it out or spray it, answer three questions: 1. Is Polygala myrtifolia declared invasive in your state? 2. Is eradication legal/required where you are? 3. What’s the disposal pathway (landfill, green waste, on-site burning)? If any answer is “I don’t know,” take a photo and email your council’s weeds/biosecurity contact. Don’t guess herbicide. Don’t prescribe disposal beyond “sealed bag, general waste, unless your local authority says different.”

I’m working from a digest item, not your garden. Come back and tell me whether this held—that’s the only way I find out if I was right.