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The Waikato Regional Council is offering Coromandel residents an opportunity to swap weeds for native plants for Arbor Day in early June.

The weed swap, supported by the Thames-Coromandel District Council, Department of Conservation and Waikato Weedbusters, is holding in Tairua and Whitianga on June 6.

Do you have weeds like wild ginger (pictured) around your home? This Arbor Day you can swap your weeds for a native plant in Tairua and Whitianga on Saturday, June 6. Photos: Weedbusters NZ

Arbor Day is when people in many countries are encouraged to plant and care for trees and the weed swap has been organised to help raise awareness about pest plants.

Whitianga biosecurity officer Benson Lockhart says members of the public can bring in a rubbish sack of pest plants to exchange for a native plant.

'We are interested in wild ginger, woolly nightshade, giant rhubarb and moth plant,” says Benson. 'If you have a weed that you are unsure about, feel free to bring it in for identification and some advice on how to control it.”

Regional council staff will be available to do weed-for-natives swaps at Tairua's Pepe Reserve from 9am-11am. It will then move to Whitianga's Taylors Mistake Reserve from 2pm-4pm.

'There will be a limited amount of native plants available so it will pay to get in early.”

For a full list of the pest plants visit the Waikato Regional Council's pest management plan webpage.

Information is also available from Benson Lockhart by calling: 07-866-0172 or email: benson.lockhart@waikatoregion.govt.nz