Gardener's are being asked to avoid stocking their garden ponds with certain plants which, if they get into natural waterways, can push out native species and cost millions of pounds each year to clear.
Three of the plants giving cause for concern are Australian stonecrop (
Crassula helmsii), floating pennywort (
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) and parrot's feather (
Myriophyllum aquaticum). These are all plants introduced into Britain for use in garden ponds, but when they enter natural water bodies, either by accident or by thoughtless disposal, they can out-compete our native species. A number of conservation bodies, led by
Plantlife are pushing for a ban on garden centres selling these species. In the meantime we can all do our bit by being very selective about the plants, particularly the fast growing oxygenators, which we use to stock our ponds.
