Popular garden plants that are actually weeds
At least three quarters of the weeds choking our waterways and invading our national parks are escaped garden plants.
Despite plants like English ivy and gazania being banned in parts of the country for being invasive, they can still be legally bought in local nurseries and online.
"More than a decade ago, governments recognised escaped garden and aquarium plants as a major threat to our environment and wildlife, but nothing changed - the nursery industry promised to self-regulate and this approach has failed," Imogen Ebsworth from the Invasive Species Council said.
"We are relying on everyday Australians to either have a botany degree or to pay close attention to the warnings in the fine print of plant labels to stop their gardens becoming a ticking time bomb."
She said governments had finally agreed regulation was the only way to prevent another lantana from destroying the environment.
"There are thousands of 'safe' plants available which will still allow people to have amazing, diverse gardens and the industry to prosper without causing new weeds to spread around the country."
Click through to see some of the popular household plants that have escaped the garden to become invasive weeds.
Mother-in-law's tongue
Mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) forms dense infestations in bushland, preventing regeneration of native plants and forming monocultures.
Mock orange
Mock orange (Murraya paniculata) is a popular hedge plant that can grow in shade that is invasive in rainforest in Queensland and New South Wales.
It is likely to become further established in rainforest areas as long as it remains a popular garden plant.
English ivy
English ivy (Hedera helix) is an aggressive invader that threatens all vegetation levels of forested and open areas and excludes native vegetation.
Host trees may die or blow over in storms.
Coastal gazania
Coastal gazania (Gazania rigens) is highly invasive in coastal environments, particularly on sand dunes and headlands.
It can severely alter the vegetation structure by suppressing native plants and is often difficult to eliminate due to continued escapes from nearby gardens.
Other gazania species are also a threat.
Duranta
Duranta (Duranta erecta) is a popular garden plant that invades moist or wet sites in bushland.
It is among the top 50 invasive species on the NSW North Coast and among the top 100 most invasive plants in south-east Queensland.
Umbrella tree
Umbrella tree (Heptapleurum actinophyllum formerly Schefflera actinophylla) is a prolific seeder that outcompetes native plants.
Native to north Queensland, it is invasive in southern Queensland and New South Wales.
It invades national parks, remnant bushland and undisturbed forests and roots can cause damage to urban structures.
Agapanthus
Agapanthus (Agapanthus praecox)is highly invasive and forms dense stands.
It's densely clumping roots displace other vegetation and smother native ground-covers, prevent regeneration of trees and shrubs, and eliminate habitat for native fauna.
It may transform fire regions.
Devil's ivy
Devil's ivy (Epipremnum pinnatum) is highly invasive, mostly in tropical forests. It climbs from the forest floor into the forest canopy, engulfing vegetation and shading-out native trees and shrubs in the understory.
African daisy
African daisy (Osteospermum ecklonis) is an emerging environmental weed in New South Wales and Western Australia, and a sleeper elsewhere.
It is one of the most serious environmental weeds along New South Wales' south coast invading beaches, dunes, and dry forest.
It can form a dense understorey that excludes native species.
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