The little-known plant thats as dangerous as Japanese knotweed - and you face a 5k fine f
A TYPE of weed which destroys other plants is on the rise - but anyone planting it faces a £5,000 fine or even two years in prison.
The pest named Himalayan balsam is invading - and experts warn it can be as dangerous as Japanese knotweed which has been plaguing gardens.
Anyone caught helping spread the breed could find themselves prosecuted, however.
Allowing Himalayan balsam to grow in the wild has been illegal since 1981.
The plant was introduced to the UK from India at Kew Gardens in south-west London in 1839.
Yet it has been spreading in recent weeks, posing a danger to other plants and vegetation which it destroys.
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Himalayan balsam produces pink flowers and can rise to heights of three metres.
But it also generates as many as 800 seeds which can shoot themselves up to 22ft away.
The species has been barred under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, threatening fines up to £5,000 or two years in jail.
Warnings have been issued that it poses an especially new and dangerous threat, according to the Derby Telegraph.
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The prime season for its spread began in June and is likely to run until October.
The weed is typically found on riverbanks or waste sites yet can flourish anywhere - and rapidly.
The plant is identifiable by its pink flowers, delicate smell and attractiveness to bees, gardeners say - yet it invades territory and can swiftly stifle any other growth.
Government guidance says Himalayan balsam is "listed as a species of special concern under retained European Union law".
It goes on to stipulate how it is "an offence to plant or cause these plants to grow in the wild, or intentionally release them into the environment".
Other plants on the banned list include those going by the names of parrot's feather, curly waterweed, American skunk cabbage, tree of heaven and Chilean rhubarb.
Japanese knotweed has been an increasing source of neighbourhood disputes across the UK in recent years.
The dangerous plant has cost taxpayers almost £300,000 in recent years - with the most expensive bills coming in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
The fast-growing weed has been dubbed "the UK's most aggressive, destructive and invasive" weed by the Environment Agency, amid fears it can wipe thousands of pounds off property prices.
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A property investor told how Japanese knotweed cost her a mortgage - while it also prompted a North London couple to sue neighbours for £250,000.
Yet plenty of other plants pose similar risks, experts have warned - including Giant Hogweed and another dubbed "butterfly bush".
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