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Weed whacking with the Wild Trainees

An image of periwinkle taken at Frith wood nature reserve (c) Holly Palmer.

A quick insight into invasive plant species control with Holly.

May has been a month chock-full of invasive plant species control. Before starting the traineeship, I had heard of non-native invasive species such as giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam and Japanese Knotweed, but I hadn’t realised our own native species could become invasive and pose a threat to our wonderful habitats!

Invasive plant species are species that has been transported from their normal range and have a negative impact on other organisms or environments. They can cause significant financial and ecological damage and cause biodiversity loss; they can even have a negative impact on our health.

An image of lavender periwinkle flower amongst leaf litter.

A periwinkle flower amongst the leaf litter at Frith wood nature reserve (c) Holly Palmer.

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A giant hogweed leaf with a curious slug resting in it. Notice the green stem with purple blotches and a jagged edge to the leaf, these are telltale signs of giant hogweed (c) Holly Palmer.

The first invasive species we tackled was the giant hogweed. The giant hogweed’s large umbellifer (an umbellifer is the name given to multiple short flower storks that sprout from one point, similar to the structure of an umbrella), featuring delicate white flowers is hard to miss and when fully grown it can reach heights anywhere from 1.5m to 5m. Luckily for Izzy, Jamie, Ruby and I, we were tackling juvenile plants found along the Painswick stream by severing their taproot to prevent them from regrowing.

The removal of giant hogweed will improve the diversity and connectivity of native marginal vegetation along the stream, enhancing the habitat and benefiting native animal and plant species.

An image of a rosebay willowherb amongst grass.

A rosebay willowherb found at Crickley Hill country park (c) Holly Palmer.

We then turned our hands to rosebay willowherb around Crickley Hill. Although rosebay willowherb is a native plant species, if left unchecked this excellent coloniser will invade the space of other plants and restrict their growth. This can be detrimental to success of Crickley Hill’s amazing diversity of wildflowers. So on a wet and windy day we set off, pulling by hand as much as we could find. We soon realised we grossly underestimated just how much was present on site, having only brought a few bags and buckets with us to transport it - we never imagined we would end up filling the entire bed of Dan’s truck!

A close-up image of the head of a Himalayan balsam plant before flowering.

A close-up of Himalayan balsam as seen at this time of year, without it's flowers (c) Holly Palmer.

The third invasive species we got to grips with is Himalayan balsam.  Introduced in 1839 as a garden plant, but quickly escaped and naturalised itself along riverbanks, invading wet habitat.

Himalayan balsam spreads quickly and is fast-growing, outcompeting and smothering our native plants for light, nutrients, pollinators and space, reducing biodiversity. It also causes riverbank erosion once the plant dies off in winter, leaving riverbanks exposed increasing the risk of flooding as riverbank vegetation slows runoff.

Himalayan balsam has large, pink flowers which are shaped like a bonnet with hanging, green seed pods. We arrived on site with a group of volunteers and set to work, pulling it up by hand and snapping it near the root before it has chance to seed and piling up the debris. The snapping prevents it from re-rooting when on the floor, and piling it up makes it easier for the plant to be broken down by micro-organisms so the nutrients can return to the soil.

An image of multiple periwinkle leaves.

The woodland floor was absolutely covered in periwinkles! (c) Holly Palmer.

The final invasive we encountered this month is periwinkle. These particular periwinkles are the result of garden escapees from a cottage that once existed in Frith Wood.

Periwinkle is an evergreen plant which can tolerate shade and poor soil in order to outcompete native plants. Upon arrival we were greeted by a swathe of periwinkles and strawberries, as well as a group of very enthusiastic volunteers. We pulled it by hand, however Frith Wood will require multiple visits in the coming years as any plant material left behind will quickly grow again.

During my time as a Wild Trainee I have grown a new appreciation for our beautiful county, and to have the opportunity to enhance our stunning landscapes is truly a privilege. No two sites are the same and every day brings a new challenge. I have learnt so much during this apprenticeship - every day really is a school day! The best part is I get to share it with the other Trainees, we’re always having a laugh in some of the most breath-taking green spaces I have been lucky enough to see.

An image of wild trainee Jamie with handfuls of Himalayan balsam.

Wild trainee Jamie hard at work removing Himalayan balsam (c) Holly Palmer.

An image of lavender periwinkle flower amongst leaf litter.

A periwinkle flower found amongst the leaf litter at Frith wood nature reserve (c) Holly Palmer.

An image of Himalayan balsam alongside a river.

A patch Himalayan balsam found alongside the Painswick stream (c) Holly Palmer.

An image of a patch rosebay willowherb.

A patch of rosebay willowherb found at Crickley Hill country park (c) Holly Palmer.

An image of wild trainee Ruby removing a patch of Himalayan balsam

Wild trainee Ruby working in a patch of Himalayan balsam at Stroud cricket club (c) Holly Palmer.

A image of wild trainee Jamie stood in front of a red truck full of rosebay willowherb.

Wild trainee Jamie stood in front of Dan's truck full of rosebay willowherb (c) Holly Palmer.

An image of wild trainee Jamie and a volunteer removing periwinkle.

Wild trainee Jamie and a volunteer removing periwinkle from Frith Wood nature reserve (c) Holly Palmer.

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