Invasive neophytes

Neophytes are plant species that were introduced into our habitats by human activity after the discovery of America in 1492.

Most of these species have integrated into our flora without any problems. However, some are spreading exponentially due to the lack of natural predators and because they are particularly competitive. They are invasive. As a result, they endanger the native flora. Certain species can also cause damage to health, impair agriculture or damage infrastructure.

Help us to protect our native plants and promote biodiversity!

In your own garden...

It is very important to recognize invasive neophytes as early as possible and remove them professionally. Do you have neophytes in your garden? Replace them with native plants and enjoy the many birds and butterflies that benefit from them!

You can find lots of helpful tips here: Fact sheet on near-natural green space design

In nature...

Report your observations with the digital app "InvasivApp" or via the "Neophyte Field Book" from Info Flora.

Below we present the most common invasive neophytes in the Binntal Landscape Park and offer you attractive native alternatives.

Miniguide invasive neophytes

Black list of invasive neophytes

Invasive neophytes may not be composted and can be disposed of free of charge in all park municipalities.

Binn: Werkhof, contact for questions: Manfred Imhof, Tel: 027 971 46 20
Bister: Municipal administration, contact for questions: Edwin Zeiter, Tel: 079 345 91 78
Ernen: depot, contact for questions: Abraham Briw, Tel: 079 262 40 51
Grengiols: Milibach collection point, contact for questions: Angelo Seematter: Tel: 078 855 17 23

© Erwin Jörg, www.neophyt.ch© Erwin Jörg, www.neophyt.ch

© Erwin Jörg, www.neophyt.ch

Ambrosia

Characteristics: Annual, strongly branched and bushy plant that grows to a height of 20 -150 cm. The stem is reddish and hairy in the upper part. The leaves are short-haired, deeply incised and green on both sides. The capitate flowers are yellowish.

Native alternative: Common mugwort

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up the plant by the roots. Dispose of all plant material in the garbage or at a professional green waste recycling facility.

Further information & photos on ragweed

 

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

Annual fireweed

Characteristics: 30 - 100 cm tall, herbaceous plant. Young plants form a rosette of leaves. The stem is usually branched and hairy towards the top. The light green leaves also have downy hairs on both sides. The flowers are white-yellow with many narrow petals.

Native alternatives: true chamomile, meadow daisy, daisies

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up the roots several times a year (every 3 - 4 weeks). Dispose of the flowers, seeds and roots in the garbage or in a professional green waste recycling plant. The remaining plant material can be composted.

Further information & photos of the annual weed

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

Butterfly bush

Characteristics: Shrub up to 3 m tall. The leaves are elongated, pointed, finely toothed and have whitish, gray-felt hairs on the underside. The purple (or white) flowers form a dense panicle.

Native alternative: Common snowball, woolly snowball, red elderberry

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up the whole plant with rhizome. Caution: Remove all root pieces, otherwise they will sprout again! Dispose of flowers, seeds and roots in the garbage or in a professional green waste recycling plant. The remaining plant material can be composted.

Further information & photos of the butterfly bush

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

Canadian goldenrod

Characteristics: The plant grows up to 2.5 m tall. The leaves are elongated, usually toothed and densely hairy on the underside. The flower is yellow and branched.

Native alternative: St. John's wort, common toadflax, wood goosebeard, dyer's woad

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up the plant by the roots 2 to 3 times a year. Caution: Remove all root pieces, otherwise they will sprout again!
Dispose of flowers, seeds and roots in the garbage or in a professional green waste recycling plant. The remaining plant material can be composted.

Further information & photos on Canadian goldenrod

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

Cherry laurel

Characteristics : The evergreen shrub grows up to 6 m high. The leaves are leathery, poisonous, with a dark green glossy upper side and a light underside. When the leaves are rubbed, they exude a bitter almond-like odor. The white, delicate flowers form an upright cluster. The cherry-shaped, poisonous fruits are initially green, later red and finally black.

Native alternative: Common privet,holly, boxwood

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up small plants by the roots several times a year. Ring up large plants: In the 1st year: strip in February, in the 2nd year: strip in June. Then cut down and also dig out the rootstock or cut the rootstock 3 - 5 times a year over several years. Dispose of all plant material in the garbage or in a professional green waste recycling plant.

Further information & photos on cherry laurel

© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges

© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges

Giant hogweed

Characteristics: The plant grows to a height of 2 - 3.5 m. The stem is hollow with red-purple spots. The leaves are up to 1m in size and three to five-part. The white flower umbels are up to 50 cm in diameter and exude a characteristic odor.

Native alternatives: wild bosomwort, large burnet, broad-leaved laserwort

Removal and disposal: Remove and dispose of all flowers. Then cut the plants to approx. 20 cm above the ground and then cut off the rhizome 15 - 20 cm below the soil surface. Dispose of the flowers, seeds and roots in the garbage or in a professional green waste recycling plant. The remaining plant material can be composted. Caution: The landfill must not be accessible to children due to the risk of burns!

Further information & photos on giant hogweed

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

Himalayan balsam

Characteristics: The plant grows to over 2 m high. The stem is glabrous and slightly translucent with hollow segments and nodes. The lanceolate leaves are opposite. There are glands in the leaf axils. The flower exudes a sweet fragrance. The fruit capsules burst open when the seeds are ripe.

Native alternative: purple loosestrife, water-east, common loosestrife

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up by the roots several times a year (every 4 - 5 weeks). Dispose of all plant material in the garbage or at a professional green waste recycling facility.

Further information & photos on balsam balsam

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

Japanese knotweed

Characteristics: The shrub grows to a height of 1 - 3 m. The stem is dark red spotted, the leaves are broadly ovate and pointed. The multi-flowered inflorescence is branched and usually upright.

Native alternative: forest gooseberry, meadowsweet, common coneflower

Removal and disposal: Individual plants: Pull out or dig up at least 4 to 5 times a year, including the roots and their underground runners. Large stands: Mow 6 times a year (to prevent the plant from building up reserves). Dispose of all plant material in the garbage or at a professional green waste recycling facility.

Further information & photos on Japanese knotweed

© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges

© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges

Many-leaved lupine

Characteristics: The plant grows to a height of 60 - 150 cm. The leaves are palmately compound, with 9 - 17 lanceolate leaflets. The flowers are in upright blue, purple, pink or white inflorescences. The seeds are in a hairy pod.

Native alternative: Seeded asparagus, garden snapdragon, white honey clover

Removal and disposal: Carefully pull out or dig up the plant with the taproot 2 to 3 times a year. Loosen the soil around the roots so that the root shoots do not break off. Dispose of the flowers, seeds and roots in the garbage or at a professional green waste recycling facility. The remaining plant material can be composted.

Further information & photos on the many-leaved lupine

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

Robinia

Characteristics: The deciduous tree grows up to 30 m high and has a gray-brown, deeply furrowed bark. The leaves are composed of 7 - 12 oval leaf segments. The stipules are formed into strong thorns. The white flowers are in clusters. The fruits are brown, hanging pods up to 10 cm long.

Native alternative: Alpine laburnum, rowan tree

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up small plants together with their roots 2 to 3 times a year. Caution: Remove all root pieces, otherwise they will sprout again!
Ringing large plants: In the 1st year: partial ringing in winter (February), remove the bark and the first layers of wood at breast height and at a width of 15 cm over approx. 9/10 of the trunk circumference. In the 2nd year: complete ringing in early summer (June) after flowering and leaf emergence, remove the remaining 1/10. The tree dies shortly afterwards and can be felled in winter. Dispose of the flowers, seeds and roots in the garbage or at a professional green waste recycling plant. The wood can be processed into wood chips.

Further information & photos of the robinia

© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges

© Naturpark Pfyn-Finges

Smooth serrated cob

Characteristics: The plant grows to a height of 30 - 120 cm. Young plants form a rosette of leaves. The leaves are pinnate with a triangular end section. The flowers are yellow. The fruits are egg-shaped.

Native alternative: field mustard, common winter cress

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up the entire taproot several times a year. Dispose of flowers, seeds and roots in the garbage or at a professional green waste recycling plant. The remaining plant material can be composted.

Further information & photos of the smooth serrated celandine

© Erwin Jörg© Erwin Jörg

© Erwin Jörg

South African ragweed

Characteristics: The perennial, herbaceous plant grows to a height of 40 - 100 cm. The stem is bare, strongly branched and often woody at the base. The branches lie on the ground and only then grow upwards. The leaves are narrow and undivided, approx. 6 cm long and 2 mm wide, often with a bluish sheen. The yellow flowers sit individually at the tip of the shoot.

Native alternative: Tansy

Removal and disposal: Pull out or dig up the plant by the roots 3 to 5 times a year. Dispose of all plant material in the garbage bin or at a professional green waste recycling facility.

Further information & photos on South African ragwort

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