Himalayan Balsam as the name suggests originates from south east Asia. It was introduced into Britain in the 1800’s, along with many other oriental species, brought here by plant collectors working for commercial nurseries. However, unlike most other introduced plants, it is very invasive to the extent that it impoverishes habitats by its shading effect so killing off other plants. By law it is an offence to plant or cause Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) to grow in the wild.

It is easy to see why balsam was seen as an attractive addition to British gardens.

Balsam plants, which grow up to 3 metres tall, can each produce 100’s of seeds, that are easily spread. The most effective way to control Balsam is to pull up the near-mature plants. Fortunately, they are shallow rooted so with care and practice can be pulled out of the ground intact. Then to kill the plant the stem should be snapped. The time of year to do this ‘Balsam Bashing’ is normally in July and early August – just after the birds’ nesting season and before the seeds appear. Unfortunately, this is not a one off task. The seeds can lie dormant in the ground for several years before they germinate. So, it is necessary to go back to areas previously cleared years before and repeat the job.

Despite many years of Friends’ volunteers trying to remove it, the extent of Balsam in Astley Park remains large. The size of the task is such that increasingly in recent years we have engaged the help of others such as school pupils, community service offenders, environmental groups and business people on ‘giving back days’. However, despite this it may not be possible to completely eradicate it as there is other land nearby that also suffers and is within seed spreading distance.

Balsam crowding the path behind Rectory Close.