A sample of invasive flora in Bloxwich, Westmidlands, U.K.
I found this YT video informative (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE061ofWl_g), particularly regarding the invasive plants introduced by Victorian era people who returned to Britain and planted collected flora that they idealised as adding beauty to the edge of waterworks. However, such plants disrupt local soil habitats and niches, and have spread extensively throughout Britain. Hence, having an interest in Botany, I ventured down to a canal located in Harden, Bloxwich adjacent to Goscote Hospital in a public open space at the end of Chaucer Road, and between Shakespeare Crescent and Goscote Lane (Fig. 1), with an unusual S-bend, the first of which had a large pond situated ca.30m below the canal edge. The partly-full pond was surrounded by two concrete viewing platforms with metal railings and a fisherman was trying his luck. The area was unkempt and densely overgrown in places. Growing on the pond perimeter, I found and sample-picked a tasseled Himalayan shrub (third from left, Fig. 2) on the first bend of the canal bank, occupied by two fishermen, and three other introduced shrubs, including one with red berries (left) and another with small, multiple leaves (second from left), both from the Far East, and one other from Central Africa with pointy, serrated green leaves (extreme right). The precise binomial names of each are unknown. Dr. R. G. Cooper, 27.10.2024.
Fig. 1 Survey map of the sample area
Fig. 2 Four invasive floral species (left to right) [Cotoneaster sp. (native to Palaeartic region including Asia, Europe & North Africa, especially in mountains of Southwest China & the Himalayas); Artemisia vulgaris (native to temperate Europe, Asia, North Africa and Alaska); Epilobium sp. (prevalent in subarctic, temperate and subantarctic regions, & montane biomes like New Guinea Highlands); & Urtica dioica (native to Europe, temperate Asia and Western North Africa)]
