Dealing with invasive plants and harmful weeds :Cross Stitch – Home and community
Some non-native plant species can become a problem because they are bigger, faster-growing or more aggressive than native species. Find out how to identify common invasive plants and weeds and what your responsibilities are if they are growing on your land.
Four of the most invasive non-native plants are:
- Floating pennywort
- Japanese knotweed
- Giant hogweed
- Himalayan balsam
The Non-Native Species Secretariat (NNSS) has a database of invasive plants on its website. Most plants have a downloadable factsheet and an identification (ID) sheet linked to from the left side of the page.
Use the links under each section, below, to access the database.
Five particular plants are classified as ‘injurious’ (harmful) weeds under the Weeds Act 1959. These five plants are:
- common ragwort
- spear thistle
- creeping or field thistle
- curled dock
- broad-leaved dock
Ragwort is harmful to, and can kill, horses and livestock if eaten by them. All parts of the plant are poisonous.
The thistles and docks are economically harmful if allowed to spread, as they can stop pasture and crops growing properly.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has a leaflet describing the five harmful weeds, including photos to help you identify them.