The Himalayan Flower Threatening the British Countryside

The Himalayan Balsam doesn’t look like an out-of-control weed, it has pleasant pink flowers and is often referred to ‘kiss me on the mountain’ (“left or right..?”) or ‘Policeman’s Helmet’. It isn’t as harmless as it might first seem however. The flower is not a native of the UK (as its name suggests), it was first grown here in 1839 at Kew Gardens from whence it escaped into the wild.

The flowers of the Balsam are pleasant, it looks somewhat like an Orchid. If you had some of the flowers delivered to your mother she would no doubt be pleased (not knowing that they could take over her entire living room). Unfortunately it is a voracious plant and has a tendency to overwhelm slower growing native species. The Balsam mainly grows on riverbanks where it can very quickly take over large areas preventing other wild flowers from growing in their natural habitat.

The Balsam is increasingly becoming a problem in the Norfolk Broads in Northern England. A weekend of action has been planned by the slightly racist sounding Norfolk Non-Native Species Initiative along with the Norfolk Broads Authority in order to control the growth of the Himalayan Balsam. Volunteers are being sought to report sightings along the banks of the River Bure.

The results of the survey will be collated and plan will be formed by Waterways conservation officer Beth Williams on how best to tackle the problem. She says that people are generally unaware of the dangerous nature of the flower:

“People say it is so pretty and the bees love it, but it is sneaky. It grows quickly and blocks out all sun light. It produces hundreds of seeds per plant and when the seed pods are ripe, if you flick them they pop, which is something kids like to do. Hopefully this weekend of action will help people look at it in a different light. It is about generating awareness.”

Be Sociable, Share!

•