Have you heard of bullying plants?
They are real, and the terminology is well founded. Plants that deprive other plants of the space, nutrients and light they need to thrive.
Weeds? Well more or less.
Typically, we are talking about less desirable plants from an ecology viewpoint. The sort of botanical pest that takes verge, meadow and grassland space that might otherwise be a good habitat for flora that encourages wildlife. Bees, birds etc.
Some “bully” plants also strip the soil they are in in short order. Taking out the nutrients and, even after the bully plants themselves wither or die, the soil may not be suitable for re-seeding for quite some time.
Well, Highways England has decided to do something about it.
Here is a post where they explain their plan. It makes fascinating reading.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/highways-england-tackles-bullying-plants-201016132.html
One quote from the article really stood out.
Dr Kate Perry, Plantlife’s road verge campaign manager, said: “Our research shows that nearly half of our entire flora grows on our verges, making this an exceptionally important habitat for wildlife, which needs all the help it can get. We warmly welcome this new approach.”
We are not sure many are aware of the vital role our verges play. I think it’s a fair bet that most people would not know that almost 50% or the UK’s entire flora grows on verges.
Here at Grass and Flower, we take grass and flower issues seriously. The clue is in the name of our website.
Providing authentically sourced mixes. Providing variety and habitat essential for the ecological balance we need.
So after you’ve finished reading this article, Why not take a look at our extensive wildflower seed range.
