A peaceful riverside scene with bright pink flowers might look nice, but there’s more to the story. These pretty flowers are actually hiding a problem.
The flowers are called Himalayan Balsam, a plant originally brought to Britain from another part of the world for Victorian gardens. However, it quickly spread outside gardens and now grows wildly along many rivers in Britain, including here on the Leven.
Himalayan Balsam grows very tall, up to six feet, and has masses of pink flowers. It’s so common now that people have given it nicknames like “Rambling Kate” and “Policeman’s Helmet” because of the shape of its flowers. This plant grows so thickly that it crowds out other plants that naturally grow in the area, like meadowsweet and willowherb.
In winter, when the Himalayan Balsam dies back, it leaves the ground bare, which can cause the soil to erode and worsen flooding problems. This invasive plant is causing significant damage to the environment.
The way Himalayan Balsam spreads is impressive but a bit alarming. Its seed pods explode, — dehiscence — shooting seeds up to 7 metres away. These seeds can float on water, travel far, and grow in new places, making it hard to control its spread.
Further reading:
‘Himalayan Balsam» NNSS’. 2019. Nonnativespecies.org <https://www.nonnativespecies.org/non-native-species/information-portal/view/1810#> [accessed 22 July 2024]
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