Wanted for: escaping from gardens and invading river banks, ditches and damp ground. British wildflowers don't stand a chance against this giant annual - the tallest in Britain.
Originally from: the Western Himalayas in 1839
Latin name: Impatiens glandulifera
Distinguising features: up to 3m high, with thick, hollow, reddish stems and spear-shaped leaves. The pink flowers (up to 4cm long) have an unmistakable, sickly sweet smell.
Super Invasive Powers: spreads by seeds explosively propelled from ripened pods. These can be carried some distance by water.
pdf Controlling Himalayan Balsam - CEH Factsheet (142.96 kB)