Help For Land Managers in the Battle Against Rhododendron

Picture courtesy of Forestry Commission.

Although its flowers are famously beautiful, invasive rhododendron presents a unique problem to the managers of any land it gets established on.

Rhododendron ponticum, in particular, is an aggressive coloniser that out-competes and replaces other, desirable plants, and reduces a site's biodiversity.

If left untreated, it can rapidly occupy the entire under-storeys of several types of woodland, as well as heathland and open spaces. It is also notoriously difficult to remove, often recovering quickly from all but the most thorough treatments.

Now the Forestry Commission has published a practice guide that provides essential guidance and advice for land managers on managing and controlling invasive rhododendron. Entitled Managing and Controlling Invasive Rhododendron, it was written by Colin Edwards of the Commission's Forest Research agency.

It sets out the sequence of events required to plan and manage the control of invasive Rhododendron ponticum. In addition to providing guidance on planning, and a decision support flowchart, it presents a number of approved control techniques - chemical and mechanical - that can be used individually or in combination to manage and eradicate invasive rhododendron bushes on any infested site.

The guide, priced £6.50, can be ordered from Forestry Commission Publications, PO Box 25, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7EW; tel: 0870 121 4180 ; quoting stock code FCTG002. It can also be downloaded free from www.forestry.gov.uk/publications.