Invasives and aliens – PlantTracker app.
by Chris, 31 January, 2013, 0 comments
Some plants, like the Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed are spreading across the country. Giant Hogweed, also known as wild rhubarb, giant cow parsnip or giant cow parsley is a dangerous plant. It was introduced as an ornamental plant in the C19th; it is however – phototoxic. If the sap gets on the skin then photodermatitis occurs – causing blistering of the skin and scarring, and minute amounts in the eyes can cause blindness.
Invasive non-native spacies can displace native species, altering the ecology of various habitats; they might be described as ‘botanical thugs’. One single hogweed plant is capable of producing 80,000 seeds. Once established the removal of these plants can be expensive and time consuming. The earlier an ‘outbreak’ or invasion by one of these plants is reported, the easier it is to deal with. Read more...
