Described as a Himalayan plant now naturalised in Britain and common in country gardens, it is ⦠As its name suggests, Himalayan balsam is from the Himalayas and was introduced here in 1839. It escaped into the wild and is now recorded throughout the UK, particularly along the banks of watercourses. Himalayan balsam has a very shallow root making uprooting by hand easy. What you may not know about Himalayan Balsam is that it is a highly edible plant. Himalayan Balsam; Himalayan Knotweed; Himalayan Honeysuckle; Lilac/Woody Shrubs . Leaves: This plant has long, toothed leaves 5-23 cm long. Keep reading to learn more about how to control Himalayan balsam ⦠The plant explorer who discovered Leycesteria, Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, named it for his friend William Leycester, a Brit who worked in the region of the world where Himalayan honeysuckle is native.The species name, formosa, means âbeautiful.â Himalayan honeysuckle ⦠Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Himalayan honeysuckle plants develop a truly unique looking flower. Himalayan balsam dies because itâs an annual; River banks are left bare because not much is going to grow in winter; Winter water levels and faster flowing water erode the naked river banks; Hey presto â flooding. It is a carefree blooming plant that is attractive to butterflies, bees and even hummingbirds. Other than that potential issue, Himalayan honeysuckle care is straightforward and relatively simple. Is Himalayan honeysuckle invasive in non-native regions? Seeds: Himalayan balsam ⦠Impatiens / ɪ m Ë p eɪ Ê É n s / is a genus of more than 1,000 species of flowering plants, widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere and the tropics.Together with the genus Hydrocera (1 species), ⦠Flowers are evident from June up until September. The green seed pods, seeds, young leaves and shoots are all edible and are traditionally used in curries in its native Himalayan ⦠Correct disposal of garden waste. How to identify Japanese knotweed. Himalayan Balsam! Registered charity number 207238. Himalayan balsam (Inpatiens glandulifera) is a large annually growing plant that is native to the Himalayan mountains.Due to human introduction, it has now spread across much of the Northern ⦠Plants are very invasive and can cover large ⦠Himalayan balsam is listed under schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It's almost everywhere in the Park, particularly where it's damp.The Friends can't hope to defeat it alone and we need help from YOU! Himalayan balsam has rapidly become one of the UK's most invasive weed species. Leycesteria formosa is a robust and easily grown shrub native to China and Tibet, which attracts a wealth of wildlife. You can control it easily, as with most exotic flowering plants, by removing spent flowers before they form seed. In warm regions, the plants will not drop leaves or die back and benefit from pruning in winter to make the plant more compact. There is no obligation to eradicate this species ⦠It has been reported as a noxious weed in New Zealand and Australia but doesn’t pose a problem in most regions. It develops into a multi-stemmed bush with hollow branches. So, having met its countless counterfeit counterparts, how do we know ⦠Feed the plant monthly during the growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer. A native of the Western Himalaya, it was introduced in 1839 to Kew Gardens as a greenhouse exotic. New shoots will form and the plant will achieve its previous height by the end of the next growing season. Stems are hollow. 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