Balsam Bashing Begins!
Sadly, with the arrival of the summer there is also the return of FoBB’s nemesis: Himalayan Balsam, one of the UK’s most aggressive invasive plants.
This prolific plant – notable for its unusual three-leafed triangular form – can grow to 3m tall, outcompeting everything around it for light. This leads to a monoculture habitat, which in turn leads to soil erosion of the brook as it dies back in the winter leaving the soil completely exposed. And it truly is rapacious in its spread! Any single plant can fire out up to 800 seeds from its exploding seed pod over a distance of 7m, and because they’re usually found by streams or rivers those seeds can drift downstream creating new fields of balsam wherever they land.
So, as ever, FoBB’s annual mission is broadly to pull balsam from the entire Brislington Brook valley before it flowers and can set seeds. So, with optimism in their hearts Leah and Giorgia led this year’s first balsam bashing work party.
The battle has well and truly begun… and lots of litter was also found in the process.
It might be relentless but it’s a different way of experiencing the valley for volunteers. And once you’ve got your eye in, no summer’s walk will ever be the same again as every time that distinctive tri-leafed head comes into view you become unable to resist pulling the plant and stopping it in its tracks!
For anyone wanting to contribute on their own walk it really couldn’t be simpler:
- Find plant – did we mention they have three leaves?!
- Gently pull up plant, including roots by tugging from the bottom third of the stem
- Gather a handful of stems
- Then twist and mangle so they can’t re-root and then place the broken stems on hard ground nearby where they’re unlikely to be able to take root and can wilt in the sun
- Give them a good stamp for luck and move on your way (or to the next victim!)
