Ban on some pond plants

I'm not up on aquatic plants, but I'm vaguely aware that there are some very destructive and invasive pond plants that have escaped into the wild, causing problems.

Apparently, some of these species cost the UK economy nearly £2billion per year in corrective measures.

Now it seems the government has taken action to limit them. It makes a change I guess to ban some non-native species, as opposed to the usual trick of deliberately introducing one problem in an attempt to solve another.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21232108

 

After turning a blind eye to that ash tree disease as it emerge in Europe, and they ignored warnings from experts to put an immediate ban on imports until the dust had settled, the government now has to be seen to be proactive in these matters.

I do agree, while not knowing much about aquatic plants, but knowing other invasive species, once they're out, they're out. Its like, imagine if someone said bindweed has been outlawed. I think Japanase Knotweed has been subject to very strict controls for years, yet we still keep hearing about that one all over the place.

 

I think this plant - water lettuce - is banned in various parts of the world and is a prolific breeder. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistia

I noticed it was for sale in a posh garden centre last autumn but I figure I can get a pile of it off the local canal for free next June. Hard to believe they were hoping someone would pay upwards of £3 for it when it is already clearly a bit of a pest in our local region.

I think it is rather cute and hope I can keep on top of it if I put some in my pond this summer.

 

I've seen that Floating Pennywort almost choke the life out of the River Weaver in Cheshire, horrendous stuff, the winters don't kill it, it simply dies back a bit and when it warms up it grows at an astonishing rate, blocking everything else out. At its worst only the boat channel was staying clear of it and it was over a foot thick for several metres out from the edge!!!

 

Yes it dies off in winter but comes back in early summer, whether from seed or overwintered underwater roots, I can't say. Even with a late start it manages to make a sizeable presence by autumn.

 

Canadian Pondweed was introduced when the guy studying a specimin pulled the plug in his sink, not realising the sink drained straight into a river