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From July to October, Himalayan balsam hangs out large pink flowers shaped like a helmet, which earned it nicknames such as "policeman's helmet" and "bobby tops." Bumblebees crawl right inside the hood to reach the nectar, emerging dusted with pale pollen. It is Britain's tallest annual plant, growing up to two or three metres in a single summer.
It was brought from the Himalayas as a garden plant in 1839, but soon escaped. Its ripe seed pods explode at the slightest touch, flinging seeds several metres, and seeds carried downstream have spread it along riverbanks, ditches and damp ground across the country, including the river valleys of the North East.
Its success comes at a cost. Dense stands shade out native plants, and because it dies back completely in winter, riverbanks it once covered are left bare and easily eroded. Its nectar-rich flowers can also draw bees away from native wildflowers. It is now illegal to plant it or cause it to grow in the wild, and volunteers regularly gather for "balsam bashing," pulling up the plants before they set seed. On damp, disturbed ground on former colliery land, it is a reminder that not every plant that thrives in these places is welcome.
From July to October, Himalayan balsam hangs out large pink flowers shaped like a helmet, which earned it nicknames such as "policeman's helmet" and "bobby tops." Bumblebees crawl right inside the hood to reach the nectar, emerging dusted with pale pollen. It is Britain's tallest annual plant, growing up to two or three metres in a single summer.
It was brought from the Himalayas as a garden plant in 1839, but soon escaped. Its ripe seed pods explode at the slightest touch, flinging seeds several metres, and seeds carried downstream have spread it along riverbanks, ditches and damp ground across the country, including the river valleys of the North East.
Its success comes at a cost. Dense stands shade out native plants, and because it dies back completely in winter, riverbanks it once covered are left bare and easily eroded. Its nectar-rich flowers can also draw bees away from native wildflowers. It is now illegal to plant it or cause it to grow in the wild, and volunteers regularly gather for "balsam bashing," pulling up the plants before they set seed. On damp, disturbed ground on former colliery land, it is a reminder that not every plant that thrives in these places is welcome.