Ban the sale of rhododendron ponticum in the U.K.
Ban the sale of rhododendron ponticum in the U.K.
The Issue
Rhododendron ponticum (pontic rhododendron)
We would like to propose a complete ban on the sale of Rhododendron ponticum in the U.K.; it’s not allowed to be planted in the wild currently but is still allowed to be sold to plant in private gardens. It’s very hard to stop the spread of R. ponticum once it’s in the ground and therefore we think it shouldn’t be sold in the U.K. for any reason. It has a massive effect on the surrounding environment and the impact it has on the area lasts decades, even after it has been removed. With the help of volunteers and Government funding, we hope to completely remove it from the U.K. So far, we’re working hard to prevent the spread in the wild, starting with Snowdonia. Please support this petition to stop it being sold in the U.K. as this is only adding to a problem that is extremely expensive and damaging to our local environment.
R. ponticum is a densely branched, evergreen shrub with tough, leathery, dark green, oval leaves. It produces terminal trusses of 10-15 purple, funnel-shaped flowers in spring. It is an established, non-native, invasive species within the U.K., threatening a variety of natural and semi-natural habitats and as it outcompetes and displaces all other vegetation and local fauna. It has been shown to reduce the numbers of earthworms, birds and plants and regenerative capacity of a site, leading to a reduction in the biodiversity of the area.
According to Inside Ecology; “The economic impact of eradicating R. ponticum in a local area can run to many millions. The cost of clearing the weed in Snowdonia National Park, Wales, U.K. has been estimated at over £30 million (Mabberley, 1998). R. ponticum on the small island of Hebridean, Colonsay, Scotland, U.K. is spreading at a rate of 1 km² every 5 years and the cost of prevention and eradication of the weed is estimated to be £120,000 per year for a planned 16 year programme. On the small island of Lundy, Devon, UK, 105 days work and £26,880 is required per year to clear R. ponticum from cliffs (Compton and Key, 1998). Toxins in the leaves of R. ponticum have been known to poison sheep, cattle (Black, 1991), goats (Humpherys, et al., 1983) and dogs (Frape and Ward, 1993) and the nectar of R. ponticum is poisonous to bees, though there are no reported costs associated with this”. (Cabi.org, 2017). Anecdotal evidence suggests that honey from R. ponticum is toxic to humans and results in relatively short-lived intestinal and cardiac problems but is rarely fatal (nonnativespecies.org, 2017).
Numerous invasive plant species are already covered by a complete ban on sales in the U.K., including Water Fern, Water Primrose and Parrot’s Feather, so why should R. Ponticum, which is just as destructive and expensive to clear, be any different?
References
1. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/100610/rhododendron-ponticum/details
2. https://insideecology.com/2017/09/06/invasive-non-native-species-uk-rhododendron-ponticum/
4. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sale-of-invasive-water-plants-banned-to-protect-wildlife
141
The Issue
Rhododendron ponticum (pontic rhododendron)
We would like to propose a complete ban on the sale of Rhododendron ponticum in the U.K.; it’s not allowed to be planted in the wild currently but is still allowed to be sold to plant in private gardens. It’s very hard to stop the spread of R. ponticum once it’s in the ground and therefore we think it shouldn’t be sold in the U.K. for any reason. It has a massive effect on the surrounding environment and the impact it has on the area lasts decades, even after it has been removed. With the help of volunteers and Government funding, we hope to completely remove it from the U.K. So far, we’re working hard to prevent the spread in the wild, starting with Snowdonia. Please support this petition to stop it being sold in the U.K. as this is only adding to a problem that is extremely expensive and damaging to our local environment.
R. ponticum is a densely branched, evergreen shrub with tough, leathery, dark green, oval leaves. It produces terminal trusses of 10-15 purple, funnel-shaped flowers in spring. It is an established, non-native, invasive species within the U.K., threatening a variety of natural and semi-natural habitats and as it outcompetes and displaces all other vegetation and local fauna. It has been shown to reduce the numbers of earthworms, birds and plants and regenerative capacity of a site, leading to a reduction in the biodiversity of the area.
According to Inside Ecology; “The economic impact of eradicating R. ponticum in a local area can run to many millions. The cost of clearing the weed in Snowdonia National Park, Wales, U.K. has been estimated at over £30 million (Mabberley, 1998). R. ponticum on the small island of Hebridean, Colonsay, Scotland, U.K. is spreading at a rate of 1 km² every 5 years and the cost of prevention and eradication of the weed is estimated to be £120,000 per year for a planned 16 year programme. On the small island of Lundy, Devon, UK, 105 days work and £26,880 is required per year to clear R. ponticum from cliffs (Compton and Key, 1998). Toxins in the leaves of R. ponticum have been known to poison sheep, cattle (Black, 1991), goats (Humpherys, et al., 1983) and dogs (Frape and Ward, 1993) and the nectar of R. ponticum is poisonous to bees, though there are no reported costs associated with this”. (Cabi.org, 2017). Anecdotal evidence suggests that honey from R. ponticum is toxic to humans and results in relatively short-lived intestinal and cardiac problems but is rarely fatal (nonnativespecies.org, 2017).
Numerous invasive plant species are already covered by a complete ban on sales in the U.K., including Water Fern, Water Primrose and Parrot’s Feather, so why should R. Ponticum, which is just as destructive and expensive to clear, be any different?
References
1. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/100610/rhododendron-ponticum/details
2. https://insideecology.com/2017/09/06/invasive-non-native-species-uk-rhododendron-ponticum/
4. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sale-of-invasive-water-plants-banned-to-protect-wildlife
141
Petition created on 13 January 2023