A warning has been issued about a beautiful spring flower that lines Surrey hedges that's destroying native wildlife. Gardeners are being urged not to buy rhododendrons this spring, as conservationists warn it can spread tree diseases and harm native wildlife.Rhododenrons are a flower seen in swathes across Surrey, i ncluding in many gardens open to the public.
The Woodland Trust said rhododendron ponticum is an invasive species which can spread fast and crowd out native plants in woods, particularly threatening the UK’s rare temperate rainforests, and costing millions to tackle. Imported rhododendrons can also arrive with the deadly disease Phytophthora ramorum, which can be fatal to more than 150 plant species and has led to the large scale felling of infected larch plantations. The charity said it had spent £360,000 over the past year on invasive plant control, including removing rhododendrons, while it pointed to one study which put the overall price tag from the plant at £6.
2 million. The popular garden plant, which produces trusses of purple flowers in spring, is listed in law as a non-native invasive species, prohibiting people from planting it in the wild but not preventing its sale or growing in gardens. Rebecca Gosling, a tree disease expert at the Woodland Trust, warns more should be done to tackle the threat of the plant.
“Rhododendron ponticum is a real problem for the UK’s native plants and trees. “It is choking native woodland and shading out characte.