Plant id?

dennis.kingslow

Hi all.
This plant has recently sprung up in my border, i don't recall planting anything in that spot, I'm wondering if anyone can tell me if it is a weed, or is it a particular species. if it is a weed the flowers produced are quite attractive and they are also attracting attention from the insect population. Any thoughts would be most welcome.  

Pete.8

It's Himalayan Balsam.
Highly invasive - pretty, but not a keeper.
For want of a better word I think it's banned

dennis.kingslow

Thanks for the update, i will dispose of it in a proper manner before it can set seed. Wonder where it came from though? I will look around to see how it is propogated.

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dennis.kingslow

Yes ,i have now googled it and have a little more information, does it also propagate from root  cuttings anyone know? i may have to take extra care in digging it out if so.

Dovefromabove

They catapult their seeds high, far and wide ... at our last house our neighbour grew a couple of plants .... within three years his garden was choc a bloc with them, they were springing up in our garden (6 ft fence between us) and every neighbouring one ... a few years later they're all along the street .......... highly invasive and very damaging to river banks and similar places where they outgrow all the native waterside plants and their roots damage the banks. 

This is how the seed capsule explodes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUOEHDRLDFk  (think the video is a bit misleading about the legal situation)

And if you look here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the-spread-of-harmful-invasive-and-non-native-plants and scroll down to the section on 

Prevent the spread of invasive, non-native plants

you'll find the true legal situation.  

  

dennis.kingslow

Many thanks for the information.Here is another image of the root parts, looks a bit triffid like. 

Dovefromabove

They grow incredibly quickly but I've never known them to regrow from bits of root left behind.  Fortunately they're annuals and the seedlings are pretty easily identified once you get used to them.