Beware - Be Plant Wise - banned pond plants

Beware - Be Plant Wise and look out for 8 banned pond plants in your pond.

As you start cutting back, cleaning up and throwing out your excess pond plants this year follow the Be Plant Wise code. It is important to deal with unwanted pond plants carefully.

• There are 8 aquatic plants on the Invasive Non Native Plant List.
• You may be throwing away a plant that is on that list, without a second thought, because it has always been in your pond.
• See images of each banned aquatic pond plant here to recognize them.
• Compost the roots, plants and seeds responsibly and never throw your surplus into local ponds or waterways.
• You will be committing an offence if you do not dispose of any of these plants carefully by composting completely.
• Invasive non-native pests that could block our waterways  - costly to control & remove and cause problems for utility companies.
• Starve out British species of plants or wildlife by competing for light, space & nutrients.
• Help look after the environment and reduce the spread of invasive plants.

The Be Plant Wise campaign run by DEFRA  encourages pond owners to:

1. Know what you grow - choose the right plants

2. Stop the spread - keep your plants in your pond - don't plant them or allow them into the wild

3. Compost with care

Prevent the spread of invasive nonnative aquatic plant species by following the DEFRA campaign to Check, Clean and Dry –

Check your equipment, footwear and clothing for living organisms,

Clean and wash all equipment, footwear and clothing near the water body that you have been in,

Dry all equipment, footwear and clothing and don’t transfer any water or plants elsewhere.

So beware when you are in your pond and check if you are growing any of the banned pond plants & Be Plant Wise.