Friends of the Loxley Valley are appealing for help to beat back the rapidly spreading Himalayan Balsam that is threatening to dominate parts of the local riverside landscape.
We’re asking you to let us know if you spot the invasive plant taking a toehold in the valley, so that we can organise “balsam bashing” sessions to stop it getting out of control.
We hope to remove as much of the balsam as we can, before it becomes dominant and stifles native plants along the Loxley valley. But we need your help to do it!
What is Himalayan Balsam?
Himalayan Balsam, or Indian Balsam, is a non-native plant that was introduced to the UK about 200 years ago.
It’s also sometimes known as “jumping jack”. This is because of its explosive seed pods that can fire seeds up to seven metres from the parent plant, which can be between 6ft and 10ft tall. And each plant can produce up to 800 seeds!
Its tall canopy blocks out light, stifling smaller native plants.
Bees and other pollinators are attracted to balsam blossom in preference to other flowers. This reduces plant diversity and ultimately affects the food chain for local wildlife.
Balsam also alters soil conditions. It’s shallow rooted, and once it dies back there’s less root matter to bind the soil. This increases the risk of erosion and the silting of watercourses.
And it blocks access to paths and waterways, costing time and money to clear it from affected areas.
Small wonder that it’s an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to plant or cause balsam to grow in the wild.
How can we tackle Himalayan Balsam in the Loxley valley?
Himalayan Balsam growing in the Acorn Hill woods near Low Matlock.
Balsam is now prevalent along the River Don. It’s spreading rapidly as the climate gets warmer and wetter. And it’s gaining a hold in tributaries such as the Loxley and Rivelin. It spreads downstream.
We need your help to identify places where Himalayan Balsam is growing in the Loxley valley.
Once we know where it is, we hope to undertake “balsam bashing” sessions in August and early September before it sets seed. We may also do a few trial runs later this month.
We hope to work with Riverlution who can provide equipment, expertise and skills to tackle more inaccessible areas.
In the short term – before the end of July – if you spot any please note the location and let Nick Blaney, who is a FoLV member and is coordinating the survey, know on nick.blaney@gmail.com.
Ideally we need either an Ordnance Survey grid reference or a what3words location. If you have a smartphone, OSLocate is a great piece of free software and of course there is the what3words app. If you can, please also take a picture.
How can I identify Himalayan Balsam in the Loxley valley?
You can identify it very easily in the flowering season from its bright pink or purple flowers.
But it’s also very distinctive during the growing season with its large serrated leaves that grow at right angles to the leaves above and below them.
It can grow between 6ft and 10ft tall. See pictures of both states at the bottom of this post. There is also a great video to help identification on youtube.
If you feel it is safe to do so and you are confident in your identification, you can remove balsam yourself. Pull from the base to get the shallow roots out of the ground, snap the stalk to weaken it, and leave the plants in a dry space, well above the waterline and potential high water level. Please do not leave on the footpath itself though.
Please still take photos before and after, and let us know the location via the email address above.
Thanks very much for your help in this!
- For up to date details of our balsam clearance work, please see the separate Balsam Bashing page that we’ve set up on this website. We’ll use the page to publicise details of the clearance sessions, and to report on progress as the work gets underway. You’ll find the page here: https://friendsoftheloxleyvalley.com/balsam-bashing-in-the-loxley-valley/
Himalayan Balsam in flower
