By Liam Ryder,Millie Bull,Rom Preston-Ellis
Copyright walesonline
Time is running out to deal with a beloved plant that can cause havoc on homes and roads in the UK. Buddleia, a plant beloved for its stunning purple blooms and captivating fragrance, is a familiar sight in gardens throughout the UK. Known as the butterfly bush, it’s popular with pollinators due to its nectar-rich flower heads. However, many gardening enthusiasts in Britain are unaware that this plant is highly invasive and can cause “severe damage” to buildings. As a result, gardeners are advised to take action before autumn truly arrives. Jennifer Holmes from Environment Controls warned that buddleia is just as “difficult to control or get rid of” as the infamous Japanese knotweed. Japanese knotweed is a notorious invasive species, listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Under section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, allowing this plant to escape or causing it to grow in the wild is an offence. This aggressive plant spreads rapidly through an underground rhizome system, with its canes reaching an impressive 7ft in height. It can also infiltrate cracks in paving and disrupt drainage pipes and other structures like drainage pits, cables and water pipes, reports the Mirror . Like Japanese knotweed, buddleia is highly invasive. However, instead of spreading underground, buddleia disperses via airborne seeds which can land and germinate in building cracks and crevices. This popular plant can reach heights of 15ft and has a fibrous root system that can penetrate the top layer of soil. Buddleia may not be as notorious as Japanese knotweed, but it’s still causing significant damage across the UK, with estimated costs to properties reaching a staggering £1million. Ensure your property isn’t affected negatively by acting after the later summer bloom, when they start to fade and turn brown. This should prevent seed dispersal and if the plants are pruned and maintained in the garden, they shouldn’t be an issue. Jennifer added: “Both buddleia and knotweed can cause significant damage to building structures, however buddleia is less likely to damage underground infrastructure due to its shallow root system. “Both are highly invasive and difficult to eradicate, but buddleia (unlike knotweed) can grow in hard to access areas such as roofs, guttering, window sills and walls basically anywhere that a seed lands it can grow. Knotweed on the other hand requires its roots to be on the ground in order to form plants.” Legal experts have identified both as “problematic species” and conceded they’re “equally difficult to control or get rid of”. However, there’s hope for those grappling with these botanical bullies, as eradication is achievable through herbicides or excavation. For those dealing with an invasion, it’s advisable to enlist the help of experts who can permanently remove it.
