Experts reveal the one flower they don’t want you to plant this spring
Gardeners are being warned to not purchase one type of flower this spring to help protect British nature.
Gardeners are being warned to not purchase one type of flower this spring to help protect British nature.
Conservationists caution that rhododendrons can spread tree diseases and harm native wildlife.
The Woodland Trust has specifically highlighted Rhododendron ponticum as an invasive species that spreads rapidly, crowding out native plants in woodlands and posing a significant threat to the UK's rare temperate rainforests.
This issue has become costly to manage, with the charity spending £360,000 on invasive plant control in the past year alone.
A study estimates the overall financial impact of Rhododendron ponticum at £6.2 million.
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Imported rhododendrons may carry the deadly disease Phytophthora ramorum, which is fatal to over 150 plant species and has led to extensive felling of infected larch plantations.
Despite being listed as a non-native invasive species, making it illegal to plant in the wild, Rhododendron ponticum can still be sold and grown in gardens.
Rebecca Gosling, a tree disease expert at the Woodland Trust, stressed the need for more action against the plant. “
Rhododendron ponticum is a real problem for the UK’s native plants and trees.
“It is choking native woodland and shading out characteristic plants, including in important temperate rainforests which cover just 1% of land in the UK.
“Action must be taken to protect further species and habitats from the same fate.”
“Increased trade and the growing impacts of climate change furthers the likelihood of new species introductions.”
She added: “As a top five driver of biodiversity decline, the Government must treat invasive non-native species as a priority issue.
“A failure to get a grip on these and the pressure this places on struggling wildlife populations, will also make it harder to meet nature recovery targets and halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.”
The Woodland Trust is urging the public to avoid buying Rhododendron ponticum for their gardens and calling on the Government to increase funding to tackle invasive species effectively.
