FAQs

Why do we need to control balsam?

    Why do we need to control balsam?

    Because Himalayan balsam: 

    • Outcompetes native plants, reducing biodiversity. 

    • Produces explosive seed pods dispersing up to 7m, allowing rapid spread.  

    • Dies back completely in winter, leaving bare soil prone to riverbank collapse — now scientifically confirmed to significantly destabilise rivers.  

    • Increases flood risk by eroding banks and contributing sediment to waterways.  

    • The seed pods of Himalayan balsam explode open when they become ripe and can shoot seeds up to seven metres away. With each plant able to produce around 800 seeds, it quickly dominates its surrounding areas. 

    It's also a legal responsibility:

    • It is an offence to plant or allow balsam to spread into the wild under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the retained EU IAS Regulation. [gov.wales] 

    • Plant material and contaminated soil are controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. [gov.wales] 


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