Focus on: New Forest Non-Native Plant Project

FOCUS ON... New Forest Non-Native Plants Project encourages people to ‘Be Plant Wise’

TThe Trust’s New Forest Non-Native Plants Project aims to stop the spread of invasive non-native plants which cause environmental, economic or social damage. With the support of landowners, land managers, volunteers and contractors, the project is successfully controlling a wide range of species including Himalayan balsam, giant hogweed and parrot’s feather.

Unfortunately, these plants and the problems they cause are not confi ned to the New Forest, so Project Offi cers Catherine Cha ers and Jo Gore are keen for our members to play their part in helping to stop the spread of invasive non-native plants, wherever they live.

Many invasive non-native plants were originally introduced to the UK as ornamental garden plants but have ‘jumped the garden fence’ and invaded the countryside, threatening to outcompete our native vegetation. If you have a garden, it’s really important to choose your plants carefully and select plants that are unlikely to become invasive.

Some invasive non-native plants have now been banned from sale. For example, it is now illegal to sell American skunk cabbage. This species, which originated in North America, has been planted in bog gardens, but has invaded ecologically important wet woodlands including the Trust’s Lymington Reedbeds Nature Reserve. It has large leaves which block out the light and can become dominant, outcompeting the woodland fl ora. Contractors working on behalf of the project are successfully controlling American skunk cabbage, allowing native wildfl owers to thrive.

If you are thinking of creating a wildlife pond in your garden, be careful when deciding what to put in it, as many non-native aquatic plants can become invasive. They can form dense mats of vegetation, blocking out light and preventing the growth of submerged native plants, leading to detrimental impacts on invertebrates and fi sh. Aquatic non-native plants such as parrot’s feather, New Zealand pygmyweed, fl oating pennywort and many others have been banned from sale, so be sure to check labels on plants before you buy them. You can buy plenty of a ractive pond plants which are unlikely to become invasive, such as curled pondweed, water forget-me-not and marsh marigold. These will help create a thriving wildlife pond in your garden. If you already have invasive non-native plants in your pond or garden, it is very important to dispose of them responsibly. Most plants can be composted or taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre or disposed of through your local authority garden waste collection scheme. However, you should be aware that some plants such as Japanese knotweed are ‘controlled waste’ and subject to legislation so must be disposed of appropriately.

Japanese knotweed and montbretia have become established in the wild as a result of people dumping surplus garden plants. Other plants have become invasive a er being deliberately planted in the countryside. New Forest ponds infested with parrot’s feather and New Zealand pygmyweed have had plastic planting baskets found in them.

Project Offi cer Catherine Cha ers says: “Be Plant Wise - know what you grow, compost with care and stop the spread.”

To fi nd out more about the Be Plant Wise campaign and how you can help stop the spread of invasive non-native plants please see

www.nonnativespecies.org/beplantwise

CLIVE CHATTERS American skunk cabbage

CATHERINE CHATTERS American skunk cabbage out-competes other vegetation

buy plenty of a ractive pond plants

“Know what you grow, compost with care and stop the spread.”