Every plant banned in the UK and what to do if you spot them in your garden
Like weeds, some of the UK's most ferocious plants grow at a rapid rate, and failure to control any of the banned species in your garden could land you in trouble.
Most of us think of plants as harmless – but some are actually banned in the UK for their ability to impact local wildlife and ability to even disrupt the foundation of a building. What's more alarming is that many of them don't look like anything especially odd, which means home-owners need to brush up on their ability to recognise them.
Invasive plants are generally considered to be ones that grow extremely fast in the British climate and which risk monopolising vital resources like sunlight, nutrients, water and space. According to Environmental Controls, there are over 200 invasive plant species currently in the UK, and 36 are considered species of special concern – however some are more common and cause more damage than others.
Crucially, not all are held under the same restrictions. Some are legally banned from being planted in the wild, while others are governed by laws that mean you cannot allow them to spread outside of your property.
Meanwhile, some plants, like common ragwort, could land you in a legal battle if you don't show evidence of controlling the species. This is because you can be fined under the Weeds Act 1959.
So, which common invasive species do you need to be on the lookout for? According to Environmental Controls, there are six banned plants that are considered 'common offenders'.
These include the Japanese knotweed giant hogweed, himalayan balsam, three cornered garlic, rhododendron ponticum, and New Zealand pigmyweed – which is an aquatic plant.
These plants all display invasive growth patterns and are therefore heavily regulated. They are all listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), which means it is an offence to plant or cause to grow these plants in the wild.
Japanese knotweed has gained particular attention in the media for its destructive properties, and has been known to grow through walls, as well as break through underground drains.
The reason why it spreads so fast is that it grows via an underground root system which can develop new shoots based on small fragments of the plant. In the UK, it also benefits from having few natural predators.
What do you do if you spot them in your garden? Fortunately, there are several viable options for removing these destructive plants from your property.
Environmental Controls write: 'If you have invasive plants on your land it's important that they are controlled, or if you want to get rid of them ensure they are treated or removed by a professional company, especially if they are required to be removed to a licensed landfill.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Save our pudding! Are these homemade British comforts on the verge of extinction?
There is rarely a greater comfort than a dish of homemade sticky toffee pudding, apple crumble or treacle sponge being set on the table after during a family dinner. But the prominence of these British classics appears to be crumbling - as new research suggests they are even on the verge of extinction within the next 50 years. Once a staple of family dinners, English Heritage has found only 2 per cent of British households still make a daily homemade pudding, with 62 per cent rarely or never making them at all. The research revealed that classic puddings are even less popular with younger people, with only 17 per cent of under 25s naming classic hot puddings such as crumbles and steam puddings as their favourite dessert, in comparison to 45 per cent of over 55s. 'Sweet puddings are closely intertwined with British history and although our waistlines might benefit, I think we'd all agree, it would be a huge shame for them to die out,' Dr Andrew Hann, Senior Curator of History at English Heritage, said. He explained how recipes for sweetened meat pies can be found as far back as medieval times and, by the Tudor and Stuart periods. He said that puddings sweetened with honey or fruit were common, although many would also have contained meat. The peak of Britain's obsession with puddings peaked in the 1950s. But English Heritage said its decline appears to have started in the 1970s, when more women began to enter the workforce, causing a shift in family dynamics. Whilst nearly half of those born before 1970 said that their parents made puddings several times a week, even during the hottest days of summer, that was the case for only 25 per cent of those born in the 1970s. The decline has continued ever since – with only 14 per cent of 18–24-year-olds saying their parents made puddings several times a week and 28 per cent saying their parents never made homemade puddings. Today, 62 per cent of British households make puddings once a month or less, with 35 per cent never making any at all. Dr Hann said: 'The research shows a clear shift away from the traditional dessert over the past 50 years. As more women entered the workforce from the 1970s onwards, households no longer had as much time to cook and started to prioritise convenience. 'People tend to 'like what they know' and, over time, this has led to puddings falling out of fashion with younger generations who rarely eat them. If this decline continues, we can expect the classic Great British pud to all but vanish within the next 50 years. 'I'm pretty sure I speak for most people when I say that is not something we want to happen! There truly is nothing better in life than syrup sponge smothered in custard.' Although 36 per cent of those surveyed named classic hot puddings as their favourite, cold and healthier desserts have surged in popularity. Fresh fruit is now the most widely consumed dessert with 68 per cent of people eating it, closely followed by ice cream at 66 per cent. People are 68 per cent more likely to eat frozen desserts such as ice cream than homemade traditional puddings, despite only 9 per cent of people declaring them their favourite. In an attempt to reignite Britain's love affair with historic puddings, English Heritage has introduced two new pudding-inspired ice cream flavours to its sites and published a baking book.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
What's your favourite pudding?
What's your favourite British pudding? Bread and butter pudding, treacle tart, jam roly-poly?If none of these take your fancy, you're not alone. According to charity, English Heritage, classic British puddings are less popular with young people and people are making them less and once upon a time a home-made pudding may have been part of the meal two or three times a week, now it's once a month or never at want to know what your favourite is - have a look at this list or add your own to the comments below. For the research the charity English Heritage defined puddings as cooked sweet courses which follow a main includes crumbles and pies as well as the classic steamed research found these remain popular with around a third of people naming them as their cold desserts are more commonly eaten, with fresh fruit the most widely eaten followed closely by ice cream.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
My neighbour chainsawed my fence down during privacy row – the council approved my plans but I've taken extreme measures
Read on for more neighbour rows OF-FENCE My neighbour chainsawed my fence down during privacy row – the council approved my plans but I've taken extreme measures Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN has been left raging after her neighbour chainsawed her fence down. Tamsin took to social media to share the nightmare feud she was having with her new next-door neighbour. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Tamsin Griff was stunned to see her neighbour had sawed down her fence Credit: TikTok/@tamsingriff 2 She decided to take extreme measure to ensure it didn't happen again Credit: Tiktok/@tamsingriff In the clip, Tamsin revealed she had just bought her first home and wanted to make the garden more private. But it seemed her neighbour had other ideas and wanted to keep the tiny 4ft fence that divided their outdoor space. She said: "When you buy your first house next to a neighbour who doesn't want privacy." Tamsin revealed that she needed the fence to be taller to make sure her dogs didn't escape. READ MORE NEIGHBOUR STORIES STEAL ESTATE I made £1,800 by dobbing in my neighbour – it paid all my bills for a month The council had come over to approve the high fence so she decided to go ahead with it. She decided to use small wooden panels and kept gaps in between them to ensure it didn't block her neighbour from getting sunlight. But one day she woke up to find the fence had been chainsawed down. Fuming over the action, Tamsin quickly installed cameras pointing to her fence before fixing it to ensure her neighbour didn't try it again. After fixing the fence, Tamsin decided to take extreme measures to warn her neighbour off from doing it again. While she was nice enough to leave gaps in her fence last time, she decided to take the privilege away and board the fence up. I hate my new build garden being overlooked so found a 5 METRE privacy fence to block out nosy neighbours for under £30 She added: "As you can see, before we left gaps of light to come through. "We didn't need to this I was just being nice and it still backfired. "So it will be boarded up until we can afford someone to build it back up properly." The clip soon went viral on her TikTok account @tamsingriff with over 400k views. People were quick to share their thoughts in the comments many claiming they would love a privacy fence from their neighbour. The Top Five Reasons Neighbours Squabble One study by Compare the Market revealed the top reason British neighbour's argue Broken fences - top of the board was broken fences and whose responsibility it was to fix it Parking: one of the leading drivers of neighbour disputes, with 54.1 per cent of people having issues with people parking in front of their house, parking bay or driveway Trees - complaints about a neighbour's tree cracking your garden path was also common with nearly half of participants finding it frustrating Bin wars - outdoor bin etiquette continues to ignite the most furious debates between neighbours Nosy Neighbours - some people have their eyes and ears at the ready to have a peek causing problems for others One person wrote: "Why does the neighbour want to look in your garden???" Another commented: "My neighbour could build a 20ft fence and I'd be cheering, the higher the better." "Elderly and chainsaw didn't come together in my mind! Hope it gets resolved and doesn't escalate"," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Imagine getting privacy for free!!!!!! People are weird!" "Omg I'd be raging!' claimed a fifth Someone else added: "Every time you get it repaired send her the invoice."
