It is strange how many of the most beguiling plants are also the most dangerous. With lantana, however, the threat comes not from the plant's deadly poisonous berries but the fact that the Invasive Species Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as one of the world's most invasive alien species of any type, alongside Japanese knotweed, the cane toad, and Dutch elm disease.
Lantana is a significant weed of which there are some 650 varieties in more than 60 countries. It has established itself and spread internationally, often as a result of forest clearance for timber or agriculture. It can grow individually in clumps or as dense thickets, where it crowds out more desirable species.
In disturbed native forests it can become the dominant understorey species, disrupting succession and decreasing biodiversity. At some sites, infestations have been so persistent that they have completely stalled the regeneration of rainforest for three decades.
An undemanding plant, lantana thrives in full sun, is drought tolerant and will even tolerate poor soils thanks to its strong root system. It propagates easily from cuttings or seed, flowers quickly and will produce a vigorous, bushy plant that can easily reach two metres.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
