Who introduced Himalayan balsam?
Colonising rail and river banks, wastelands and woodlands, Himalayan balsam was introduced to the British Isles in 1839 by Victorian plant hunters who were keen on its beautiful pink flowers and exploding seed pods. The plant has had plenty of time to establish in the UK and, over the last 50 years, has spread rapidly.
How can you tell Himalayan balsam?
How to identify Himalayan Balsam. Himalayan Balsam can grow between 6 to 10 feet tall and is easily identifiable by its slightly serrated green oval shaped leaves, edged in red. The stem of a Himalayan Balsam plant will be hollow, red-jointed, and hairless.
When was Himalayan balsam introduced?
1839
Introduced in 1839, it was first cultivated as a greenhouse annual by gardeners.
Where is Himalayan Balsam found?
Himalayan balsam grows up to 3 m tall and is reputed to be the tallest annual plant found in the UK. A native of the Western Himalaya, it was introduced in 1839 and is now recorded throughout Britain. It grows rapidly, spreads easily, out-competes other vegetation and readily colonises new areas.
Is Indian balsam the same as Himalayan balsam?
Himalayan or Indian balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is a native of the western Himalayas. Himalayan balsam plants grow in dense stands that suppress the growth of native grasses and other flora.
Where is Himalayan balsam found?
Why is Himalayan balsam illegal?
Himalayan Balsam is an Invasive plant and should be controlled in order to preserve our natural environment and to fulfil our Legal duties. It is illegal to plant or allow Himalayan Balsam to grow in the wild and is listed under Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
What is the common name for Himalayan balsam?
common names Himalayan balsam, Policemen’s Helmet, Poor Man’s Orchid, Himalayan Impatiens, Ornamental Jewelweed, Kiss-me-on- the-mountain, Indian touch-me-not, Indian balsam.
Is Himalayan balsam the same as Japanese knotweed?
What is Himalayan Balsam? Despite its attractive appearance, Himalayan Balsam is, just like Japanese Knotweed, considered a problem weed. Due to its size, growth rate and ability to thrive even in low light conditions, it often shadows other plants, starving them of light and eventually completely outgrowing them.
What is the common name for Himalayan Balsam?
Is Himalayan Balsam illegal?
It is illegal to plant or allow Himalayan Balsam to grow in the wild and is listed under Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If you have Himalayan Balsam growing in your garden, you must control it in order that it does not spread.
What does Himalayan balsam look like?
Himalayan Balsam • It grows in dense thickets, often along waterways (see picture no. 3). • Individual plants reach 2-3m have translucent fleshy stems, pink-purple slipper-shaped flowers and large oval pointed leaves with obvious teeth around their edges (see above and pictures no. 2 and 5).
Is it illegal to grow Himalayan balsam?
Legal responsibility– Himalayan Balsam is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the updated EU Invasive Alien Species Regulations 2017, making it an offence to plant it or cause it to grow in the wild.
Who is responsible for the management of Himalayan balsam?
Riparian Landowners– have an obligation to control Himalayan Balsam populations on their land and help prevent the spread of the non-native invasive species. Environment Agency(EA) – The EA is under no obligation to remove Himalayan Balsam.
Is it possible to trim Himalayan balsam for cosmetic effect?
Strimming and trimming for cosmetic effect is not recommended. Himalayan Balsam is a distinctive plant with reddish jointed stems and long, green, oval-shaped leaves. The flowers range from fuchsia to pale pink in colour and tend to appear between June and October, followed by seed pods that explode dispersing the seeds from late July to October.