Himalayan Balsam weed cut

An intrepid group of volunteers spent a very productive morning last week pulling out several large clumps of Himalayan Balsam in the upper reaches of the fishery.

Himalayan Balsam is yet another plant imported by gardeners and landscapers which has proved to be quite aggressive, rapidly colonising new areas via wind or water borne seeds and overpowering native plants. In recent years it has escaped from gardens and found its way onto our river banks (as in this case) with the result that manual clearing is becoming increasingly necessary.

No doubt we will see next season how effective our efforts have been, but the consensus was that this area at least has been well cleared.

Himalayan Balsam is not to be confused with the native plants which adorn the banks of the Wensum, many of which also have pink flowers.