Other Plants
When left untreated there are many invasive plants in the UK, other than Japanese Knotweed that can quickly take over your garden or development site.
The most common invasive plants are Marestail, Hogweed, Nettles, Brambles, Buddleia, Ragwort, Himalayan Balsam, Dock, Bracken, Hedge Parsley, Cow Parsley and Gorse.
These plants have been known to colonise many gardens, public footpaths, recreational areas, brownfield sites, railway tracks, pastures and much more if not carefully managed by a specialist like South Wales Knotweed Garden Services.
In general terms, they are plants or weeds that have very little appeal when it comes to colour and greenery.
South Wales Knotweed Garden services are specialists in the treatment of invasive weeds across South Wales and the West of the UK. Treating overgrown ‘vegetation’ in gardens, at places of interest, council sites, development sites and many more are one of the many Garden Services we provide.
We are fully equipped and have the knowledge and expertise to treat many invasive plant species or plants which are generally considered as undesirable to homeowners, councils, businesses and developers.
We are often referred to by estate agents and mortgage brokers who need a site cleared in preparation for restoration and property transfer. Our team of gardeners will plan how they will clear it quickly and how they can ensure the area looks refreshed after.
Invasive Plants
Hogweed, also known as Heracleum sphondylium, are often found along hedgerows, roadside verges, waste ground and rough grassland. It flowers umbrella-like clusters of creamy-white flowers and actually looks very pretty, however, it will quickly spread and take over other plants and vegetation.
South Wales Knotweed Garden Services are experts in the growth of invasive plants and will come out to your property or site and assess and advise of the best removal options.
Giant hogweed, also known as (Heracleum mantegazzianum) belongs to the parsley family and it is listed under Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with respect to England and Wales. This means it is an offence to plant or otherwise allow this species to grow in the wild or onto another property.
It should be controlled and eradicated in accordance with the strict guidelines and legislation. Giant hogweed’s sap is toxic and present all over the plant. The sap contains the toxic chemical furanocoumarins, which will cause severe burns, blistering and skin irritation when exposed to UV rays from the sun. You should never touch giant hogweed and always use an invasive plant specialist to remove it.
The stems and leaves of stinging nettles are covered by tiny hair-like structures which are hollow. When they come in contact with the skin the structures act like needles and chemicals flow through them into the skin causing the sting and rash to occur.
Once established nettles will grow rapidly and in between other flowers and plants that you want to keep, It is really difficult to remove and eradicate nettles without damaging the surrounding vegetation so using an invasive plant specialist like South Wales Knotweed is recommended.
A bramble is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub that grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. Brambles grow quickly and entwine themselves in other vegetation and this along with their sharp prickles makes them really difficult to completely remove.
It is a really hardy plant and it can quickly become a nuisance in gardens as they grow strong suckering roots amongst hedges and shrubs and are very resilient against pruning. When established their thorns can be extremely tough and sharp making them a horrible plant to try and remove yourself without injury.
Buddleia is also known as the “Butterfly Bush” and it is an invasive plant species that has quickly spread through the rail network in the UK. It spreads by wind-borne seeds and the low-pressure drag which is created by the movement of trains. It typically invades areas such as quarries, urban wastelands, railways, gravel workings and building sites and it needs a specified herbicide treatment to control and remove it.
When treated properly by an expert the branches and trunks become brittle and this makes it easy to pull from the ground enabling it to be removed and transported.
Common ragwort spreads quickly as it produces thousands of seeds which are dispersed by the wind. Ragwort is covered by the Weeds Act 1959 (which specifies five injurious weeds including common ragwort) and the Ragwort Control Act 2003.
It is a weed that colonises wasteland and pasture across the UK quickly. Its natural habitat is sand dunes but it is also now common on light, low fertility soils and grassland that is overgrazed. This means it often takes over pastures and is seen a lot on roadside verges, railways, wasteland and rubbish tips.
Ragwort needs to be dug out of the ground after the leaves have been sprayed or wiped being careful not to disperse the seeds allowing them to spread.
Himalayan balsam is a problem weed that colonises rail and river banks, wastelands and woodlands.
It is listed in Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) with respect to England and Wales, making it an offence to ‘plant or otherwise cause to grow in the wild’.
It’s growing season is spring and it is one of the UK’s most invasive and problematic weed species. When it flowers it has beautiful pink flowers, however, with exploding seed pods it has the ability to spread rapidly and wildly.
There are different ways to treat, control and remove Himalayan balsam and this depends on the site or area it is in.
South Wales Knotweed Garden services will assess your garden or site and advise you of the best and most effective way to control and remove Himalayan balsam.
Docks are very common in the UK, they are highly persistent perennial weeds that are generally found in agricultural and on recently disturbed land and gardens. They are deep-rooted and they can regrow from the top section producing large amounts of seeds, making them highly spreadable and difficult to remove.
The long taproot they regrow from has to be dug out and then killed using chemicals or submerging them in water to completely eradicate them.
Bracken is often considered to be one of the most successful ferns, however, it is highly invasive, can survive in acid soils and will quickly colonise an area.
It is typically found in moorland type environments, and is often referred to as ‘Moorland Scrub’. Bracken grows large triangular fronds from a wide fast-growing underground root and can form dense thickets making it tricky to remove. Its roots can be a metre or deeper and between fronds, and this makes it difficult to control and remove without specialist knowledge.
Hedge parsley is one of the most common weeds which grows extensively in the grass. It produces diffuse little sprinkles of white flowers and looks pretty to the eye, although highly spreadable and will colonise an area quickly.
It sprouts early in the spring and the clusters of tiny white flowers develop seeds with burs and these burs cling to pet’s fur and clothing. Its seeds enable it to spread quickly and it often needs a herbicide treatment to control and remove it effectively.
Cow parsley is usually a wayside weed, although if allowed to flower it can be highly invasive and spreadable in orchards, paddocks, churchyards and other grassed type areas.
Cow parsley flowers in May and often establishes itself within white hawthorn looking pretty and spring-like. It is, however, a weed and it will spread quickly if given the chance and not controlled.
South Wales Knotweed Garden Services can assess your garden or site and advise you of the best course of action for cow parsley.
Gorse is an invasive spine like shrub that forms dense and substantial thickets. It is relentless once it’s established and will push out and overgrow the plants surrounding it. In hot countries, it is also a fire hazard as the plant holds onto its dead and dry branches and leaves.
South Wales Knotweed Garden Services will come out to your property or site and assess the invasive plants that are growing. We will advise you of the best treatment and removal methods and provide you with a free no-obligation quote.
Our expert garden services will quickly and efficiently clear any unwanted plants as we know the tools, techniques and chemicals that are needed to effectively control and remove.
We are experts in the invasive plant industry and are trusted to advise the best methods of treatment and removal for all types of nuisance weeds in the UK.
During times of high demand, we may use a well-known sub-contractor for this type of clearance work, however, they are fully briefed and managed against our commitment to you and you will only deal with us. We commit to ensuring we only use contractors that will provide the same level of service as a member of our own team.