Himalayan balsam facts: About: Himalayan balsam is from the Himalayas and was introduced to the UK in 1839. Himalayan balsam uses small economically-produced flowers to attracts bees. It is fast-growing and spreads quickly, invading wet habitat at the expense of other, native flowers. Himalayan balsam grows up to 3 m tall and is reputed to be the tallest annual plant found in the UK. Himalayan Balsam has a distinctive purple flower and seen with abundance throughout the UK. Himalayan balsam is a non-native species introduced as an ornamental plant in the nineteenth century. The species is particularly frequent along the banks of watercourses, where it often forms continuous stands. The species name glandulifera comes from the Latin words glandis meaning 'gland', and ferre meaning 'to bear', referring to plant bearing glands. With the help of over 7,000 of the world’s best wildlife filmmakers and photographers, conservationists and scientists, Arkive.org featured multi-media fact-files for more than 16,000 endangered species. Himalayan Balsam is a saving grace for honey bees and other insects in the North West. Himalayan Balsam was added to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in April 2009 in Wales and England. HIMALAYAN BALSAM QUICK FACTS: • Himalayan balsam is an annual semi-aquatic plant native to India and was likely introduced to North America as an ornamental plant. Inoculation experiments in controlled conditions revealed that some Himalayan balsam plants could be infected by the rust fungus, while some were immune. Best Regards. It is now widely established in other parts of the world (such as the British Isles and North America), in some cases becoming a weed. Himalayan Balsam, or Impatiens glandulifera, to use its scientific name is a large, annual plant species native to, as its name suggests, the Himalayan mountains of East Asia.Growing alongside the colossal peaks and quaint streams of Nepal, Myanmar and other nearby nations. Himalayan balsam. Himalayan Balsam is a tasty plant commonly eaten as curry in its native Northern India. Himalayan balsam is a plant native to the Himalayas and was introduced to Britain by Victorian plant hunters. As such, it is an offence to plant or otherwise allow it to grow in the wild. Himalayan balsam grows during the spring and dies back in the autumn. Himalayan Balsam can tolerate low light levels and due to the extent of the growth, it creates a pseudo woodland meaning that any other plants growing within close proximity are shadowed, therefore inhibiting their growth. More problematic is the Himalayan balsam (I. glandulifera), a densely growing species which displaces smaller plants by denying them sunlight. Interesting Himalayas Facts: 36-40. November 02, 2015. Himalayan Balsam and Kiss-me-on-the-mountain arise from the fact that the plant originates in the Himalayan mountains. Himalayan Balsam was one of my successes. It has pinky-red stems and dark green pointed leaves with serrated edges. Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) has rapidly become one of the UK’s most widespread invasive weed species, colonising river banks, waste land, damp woodlands, roadways and railways.It reaches well over head height, and is a major weed problem. I found this plant Very interesting! CABI started to look at why this might be. This plant is the least harmful of our three main invasive species. It has a hollow stem and can grow up to two metres tall. Wildscreen's Arkive project was launched in 2003 and grew to become the world's biggest encyclopaedia of life on Earth. Updated. The seed pods of Himalayan balsalm explode open when they become ripe and can shoot seeds up to seven metres away. The River Bure runs the entire length of Blickling’s northern boundary and is a rare and beautiful chalk stream. In the early 1800s it was introduced to many parts of Europe, New Zealand and North America as a garden ornamental. The plant was introduced to the UK in 1839, and Himalayan balsam is now a naturalised plant, initially marketed as having ‘herculean proportions’ and ‘splendid invasiveness’ (The Open University 2005) which meant that people could buy them relatively cheaply. First introduced to the UK in 1839, its rapid growth and attractive flower made it a favourite with gardeners and the seeds were happily shared and traded. 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