Dear editor
Hello there, We are part of the 5/6 classes from Elora Public School. As you may know, we have an invasive species on our property . This treacherous plant is called “Himalayan Balsam”…
This invasive plant comes from the Himalayas. It can be found in three colours (I.e pink, purple, white). It looks like jewelweed as jewelweed is orange and is native. This plant has seed pods that with strong wind or light pressure can be popped. There’s about ten seeds per pod and can be launched up to three metres. This plant’s seeds are edible and are very tasty toasted.
This plant in large areas can take about three years to eradicate. These plants prefer areas near water. A simple way to get rid of them is to mow them regularly (this is a good choice for large infestations)
or for smaller corruptions you could just pull them out (the roots aren’t very strong).
These plants may be pretty but are very destructive. Get them out as soon as possible. This dreadful plant creates dense stands that prevent native plants from establishing and reduce biodiversity and ecological value of land. This plants draws pollinators away from native species and aggressively replace native perennial plants along river banks leading to soil erosion.
Thank you for taking the time to read our letter. If you would like any further information on these unpleasant plants, feel free to go to the Ontario invasive species website.
Sincerely,
Beth and Becca from the 5/6 classes of Elora Public School
John Scott