Giant hogweed<\/a> has been identified as an injurious and invasive weed in Suffolk, with control work along rivers in the Stour catchment and removal services operating in towns such as Newmarket.\n<\/p>\n\n Its sap can cause severe skin burns and long\u2011term sensitivity to sunlight, making it a serious health hazard on paths, verges and gardens.\n<\/p>\n
\n How to get rid of it\n<\/p>\n
Never strim or mow giant hogweed, as this can spray sap and increase exposure risk.<\/p>\n
Small plants can be dug out in early spring, severing the root at least 15cm below soil level and disposing of all material as controlled waste.<\/p>\n
Larger stands near public rights of way or play areas should be tackled by professionals using approved herbicides and strict protective clothing.<\/p>\n
3. Himalayan balsam<\/p>\n
\n Himalayan balsam has become one of the most widespread non\u2011native invasive plants in the Stour Valley, with volunteer “balsam bashes” organised along Suffolk riverbanks to remove it.\n<\/p>\n
\n Its explosive seed pods help it spread rapidly from watersides into gardens and damp corners, smothering native vegetation.\n<\/p>\n
\n How to get rid of it\n<\/p>\n
Plants are shallow\u2011rooted and can usually be pulled out by hand before they set seed, making it one of the easier invasives to tackle.<\/p>\n
Cut or pull plants in early summer and leave them to decompose on site, ensuring stems and pods are not allowed to drop into watercourses.<\/p>\n
Revisit infested areas for at least three seasons to deal with new seedlings, as the seed bank persists for several years.<\/p>\n
4. New Zealand pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii)<\/p>\n
\n New Zealand pygmyweed is a major invasive in ponds and wetland areas and is listed as a key threat in the River Stour catchment across Essex and Suffolk.\n<\/p>\n
\n It forms dense mats that quickly choke wildlife ponds, ditches and margins, outcompeting native aquatic plants.\n<\/p>\n
\n How to get rid of it\n<\/p>\n
Avoid breaking it up with rakes or nets, as tiny fragments readily regrow and spread.<\/p>\n
Dig out and remove whole mats where possible, with repeated follow\u2011up checks for regrowth.<\/p>\n
Do not tip pond waste or aquarium contents into watercourses or wild areas; dispose of material via council green waste or sealed rubbish, following invasive\u2011plant guidance.<\/p>\n
5. Water fern (Azolla filiculoides)<\/p>\n
\n Water fern (Azolla) is another non\u2011native invasive recorded as a priority species in the Stour Valley, including sites that straddle the Suffolk border.\n<\/p>\n
\n Left unchecked, it can carpet the surface of ponds and slow\u2011moving water, cutting out light and oxygen for fish and other wildlife.\n<\/p>\n
\n How to get rid of it\n<\/p>\n
Skim off thick mats with nets or boards, aiming to remove as much biomass as possible.<\/p>\n
Repeat removal several times through the growing season, as fragments left behind will recolonise quickly.<\/p>\n
As with other aquatic invasives, treat all waste as potentially contaminating \u2013 never dump it in neighbouring ditches or compost heaps.<\/p>\n
6. Floating pennywort<\/p>\n
\n Floating pennywort has been identified as a non\u2011native invasive species in the Stour catchment area, where it causes particular problems in slow\u2011moving rivers and drainage channels.\n<\/p>\n
\n Its long trailing stems and dense rafts can block waterways and colonise garden ponds connected to streams or culverts.\n<\/p>\n
\n How to get rid of it\n<\/p>\n
Carefully lift out whole rafts rather than chopping them, as stem fragments can root and spread downstream.<\/p>\n
Larger infestations in rivers are best reported to local environmental bodies or river trusts so they can co\u2011ordinate control work.<\/p>\n
Gardeners should avoid buying or swapping this plant and check any “pond clear\u2011outs” for stray pieces before disposing of waste.<\/p>\n
7. Broad\u2011leaf dock and ragwort in lawns and paddocks<\/p>\n
\n While often seen as just “weeds”, broad\u2011leaf dock and common ragwort are classed as injurious species under the Weeds Act and highlighted by Suffolk Highways as needing control on public land.\n<\/p>\n
\n They can spread from verges into gardens and paddocks, where ragwort in particular poses a risk to grazing animals.\n<\/p>\n
\n How to get rid of them\n<\/p>\n
Dig out docks, aiming to remove as much of the taproot as possible, and avoid shaking soil that may contain viable seed back onto beds.<\/p>\n
Pull ragwort rosettes before flowering, using a specialist ragwort fork for established plants and disposing of them via council waste rather than home compost.<\/p>\n
Regularly deadhead missed plants to prevent them seeding into neighbouring gardens and allotments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here are seven culprits to watch for in your borders \u2013 and practical ways to tackle them before…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":711737,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[1397,90,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-711736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=711736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/711737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=711736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=711736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=711736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}