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Alyn Valley Himalayan Balsam Project

Himalayan balsam is an invasive non-native species. It is originally from the Himalayan region of Asia, but was brought to the UK in the 1800s as an ornamental plant and has since escaped into the countryside.

It is a tall plant, growing to two or even three metres high, and it produces pink, sweet-smelling flowers between June and October. Its success is partly due to the seed pods being able to shoot out the seeds to a distance of 7m. The seeds of this plant can survive and even begin to germinate under water, making the spread along river systems extremely rapid. They can easily compete against the native UK plants by shading them from the sun.

Project

The project started in 2008 when it was agreed that something needed to be done about the spread of Himalayan balsam along the Alyn Valley, in both Denbighshire and Flintshire. There have been three seasons of control work since, and the impact is already considerable. In some areas that were once a sea of pink, only sparse plants remain, and overall we have seen a decrease in Himalayan balsam throughout the project area.

The project is a partnership between local councils, statutory agencies, conservation organisations, community groups and individual volunteers. Unlike Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam has very shallow roots and can easily be pulled out by hand. To find out more about the project download our leaflet.