Any ideas what these are?

Hi people.
Does anyone know what this plant is?
They are absolutely everywhere at the moment.
Thanks.

 

And one more.
They seem to come in two colours, one darker and one lighter.

 

They remind me of an Orchid and they look like a cross between an Orchid and a Foxglove.

 

I think it's Himalayan balsam or policeman's helmet, Impatiens glandulifera. It's very invasive, spreads quickly along watercourses and the Environment Agency is very concerned about it. Looks pretty though and Ziggy likes it when the pods explode in his mouth!

Chris

 

Thanks.
It's totally out of control in my area.

 

It's taken over next to the stream where I walk my dogs. A few years ago there was nothing and now it's everywhere. In fact I've been pulling great clumps of it up today (roots come out fairly easily). Should have done it weeks ago because some of the seed pods are starting to burst, but I will continue to pull clumps of it up every weekend when I'm down there, particularly in the spring when it first shows signs of life.

 

Yes, although a beautiful plant with a 'heady' sweet fragrance that is much loved by bees this particular variety of Impatiens is a thug and has swamped many a river bank up and down the country; smothering native wild flowers in the process..

Without getting too 'heavy', did you know this plant has even ruined spawning grounds for fish in some rivers!!!??, briefly it's because;

After a year or two smoothering out everything below it, when it dies back in the winter it leaves sandy/muddy banks with no native grasses/flowers knitting the banks together with their roots, the winter floods come along and wash excessive amounts of sand/mud in to the river which then settles on the gravel runs where fish spawn; particularly trout, thus removing this important habitat by covering it up!!

The best time to 'hit' it is in the spring when the seedlings are all over the banks and are about 6-12" in height, easily pulls up and it's not flowering then so there is no danger of releasing seed everywhere.

When I was in Cheshire, the angling club that I worked for used to organise groups of people and walk the banks in April and May pulling it up, it was effective, but only after this was done several times through out April and May and it has to be done every spring too...

 

Angling Club ?

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