Giving balsam the boot

Himalayan balsam may look pretty, but it can cause havoc on Britain's waterways if it isn't kept in check. As the name suggests, this is not a native species and was brought over from Asia in the 1830s as an exotic new plant for the wealthy to have in their ornamental gardens. However, it spreads extremely quickly and will multiply widely if left to its own devices, reducing space for native plant life.

Pretty in pink... but an invasive menace!

How does it multiply so easily?

The seeds of Himalayan balsam are an incredible feat of nature and they explode out of seed pods! Check it out on this video from the Eden Rivers Trust:

The exploding Himalayan balsam seed pod

One small brush against the ripe seed pod and it is triggered to burst! This could happen by human touch, animals brushing past, or by the wind moving plants against each other.

This expulsion of seeds at high speed means that they scatter far and wide, and get taken by water to repopulate further downstream too.

How can we control the spread of this invasive species?

Removing Himalayan balsam is a yearly task for our Whitlingham volunteers to keep on top of as seeds continue to enter the park from elsewhere up river.

Whitlingham volunteers pulling Himalayan Balsam by the River Yare

Removing it is a crucial task and must be done before the seed heads develop, or the volunteers would be setting them all off as they pulled the plants out!

Here is the great stash pulled up this week at Whitlingham:

Himalayan balsam pulled from the banks of the River Yare

This task is also something our team have to keep in check at Trowse water meadow, which is now back open for the public after a few years of closure.

Please look after it if you want to enjoy the space, and then everyone can enjoy the meadow for years to come. Always clear up after your dog and take your rubbish away with you. Thank you!

The lovely new stile entrance to the water meadow.

If you see any Himalayan balsam anywhere around the park, please do let us know so we can remove it. It's great of you can supply us with a precise what3words location of where you saw it. Together we can slow the spread and allow our British species to thrive.