Little-known plant so 'highly invasive' it is illegal to grow
The Weeds Act 1959 states that certain plants are considered invasive
It's a time of year for gardening - but certain plants are so invasive it is actually illegal to put them in the ground. Plants, primarily non-native, are deemed invasive under the Weeds Act 1959.
An invasive plant is any plant that grows where it's not wanted and does so in a way that makes it difficult to control. It doesn't necessarily have to be a weed, and invasive plants aren't always unattractive.
This means you won't find their seeds at your average Homebase - but they still get into our world. One very well known example is Japanese knotweed, which infiltrates gardens across the UK every year.
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However, there are others which are less well known - but still illegally invasive. One such example is Green alkanet, also known as Pentaglottis sempervirens.
Green alkanet is an invasive perennial commonly found in shady and damp areas. Despite being grown in gardens for its attractive blue forget-me-not flowers, the plant can “quickly become a weed” when grown under the right conditions.
It is capable of self-seeding, which leads to the growth of new plants close to the parent plant. Additionally, it can be spread over long distances through animal fur or clothing. It has tall, hairy stems, bristly leaves, and blue flowers with a white centre that opens from a pink bud.
Allowing a non-native invasive species listed below to spread into the wild is a criminal offence, carrying hefty fines as penalties, reports the Express.