Himalayan balsam

[lanhua]

Impaties glandulifera, common name Himalayan or Indian balsam, is native to western Himalayas and have been introduced to Europe in 19 century, for a private gardens. Currently it has been clssified as one of five most aggressive, invasive plant species. The plant forms dense stands and that cover the soil and suffocate the underlying vegetation. Such nice flowers and so bad for our local plants.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

That bush looks massive! I bet butterflies love it. Too bad it kills out the other plants around it. Does it die away in the 'winter' or remain and then continue growing in the spring?

cheers,
BD

[lanhua]

It's a annual plant which spreads only by seeds. When fruit capsule is touched, it explodes and the seeds disperse up to 7 m from the mother plant. A one stand the production is more then 30 000 seeds/m².
This plant is very popular among the butterfly's because of nectar and pollen.
I read in an article, that alone in England, the cost for eradication of this conquistador is around 200 million euro/year.

[Cjcorner]

Very pretty...but invasive is scary. We had mexican petunia in our other yard and it was not something you could kill or cut down.