Invasive plants
A common damaging plant in woodlands is rhododendron (Rhododendron ferrugineum), this is the mauve flowered variety that can spread through woods.
Rhododendron can produce dense thickets up to 10 metres high, the foliage smothers native plants and the roots produce toxic chemicals which poison the ground. Ways to eliminate rhododendron include, spraying with herbicide, grubbing it out or cutting it and treating the stumps.
Other exoitc species that are invasive to your woodland include laurel (Laurus nobilis), Gaultheria, Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), Periwinkle (Vinca) and Bamboo. These species threaten native flora and habitats.
Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) is less aggressive to other plants, but is poisonous and can cause severe skin reactions.
Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) – Despite being native, it can be an invasive species when it grows rapidly to create a thick carpet of growth when flowering in April to June. It favours deciduous woodlands and chalky soils. Wild garlic looks beautiful, especially when flowering, you can make wild garlic pesto and other forest food from wild garlic too.
Methods to treat invasive non-native plants include: spraying plants with chemicals, burying plants, burning plants and disposing of plants off site.
One way Glorious Woodlands dispose of invasive plants is to apply for a registered waste exemption or environment permit and burn invasive plants. If you were to do this, you must gain permission form the Environment Agency (EA) to bury or burn invasive non-native plant waste and inform them at least a week before.
If burying or burning is not an option, we will organise a registered waste collector to take it to an authorised land fill site.
Occasionally chemicals might be needed. We will ensure that the application of herbicide is done by a contractor with a certificate of competence and gain permission from Natural England if the area is protected such as SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).
