Himalayan Balsam

Not sure if this is the right place for this but in my view it does have wildlife implications.

Himalayan Balsam is rapidly spreading in North West Wales. This is on the list of invasive species but not a lot seems to be being done to control it around here.

It's quite pretty

but it is a phenominal plant - reminiscent of the triffid. It can grow one meter per month reaching a final height of three meters. Each plant can bear 800 seeds which it is capable of projecting a distance of 7meters with its exploding seed pods!! It finds it easy to spread!

It shades out smaller native plants and when it grows along river banks it can cause erosion by killing off the plants with deeper roots that stabilise banks. It has a strong sweet smell and plenty of nectar so insects like it but then they don't visit and pollinate native plants. In other words it rapidly develops a monoculture.

Six years ago this field was bounded by a richly diverse hedgerow - not all native I grant you but good cover none the less.

Now there is no hunting for the likes of our Tawny and Barn Owls and many other birds..

This is a simple plant to eradicate. It is a shallow rooted annual and if all landowners were to cut it or uproot it before it flowers it would be gone in two to three years. It does NOT require chemical spraying. We have kept our three and a half acres plus the half mile of lane leading to us free from it simply by routinely uprooting every plant we spot. If two "senior citizens" can do that without any tools or sprays why is it being allowed to ruin our landscape?

I'd be interested to know if there are any other areas of the country that are being covered with this scourge without any attempt by landowners to check it?

Jenni