Himalayan Balsam

Description:

It typically grows to 1 to 2 m high, with a soft green or red-tinged stem, and lanceolate leaves 5 to 23 cm long. The crushed foliage has a strong musty smell. Below the leaf stems the plant has glands that produce a sticky, sweet-smelling, and edible nectar. The flowers are pink, with a hooded shape, 3 to 4 cm tall and 2 cm broad; the flower shape has been compared to a policeman's helmet.

Habitat:

Along a river path.

Notes:

Introduced to the UK in 1839, Himalayan balsam is now a naturalised plant, found especially on riverbanks and in waste places where it has become a problem weed. Himalayan balsam tolerates low light levels and also shades out other vegetation, so gradually impoverishing habitats by killing off other plants.