Invasive species threatening native plants often spread from gardens
Invasive ornamental plants are escaping from gardens into the wild in Estonia, putting native ecosystems at risk, said Environmental Board expert Eike Tammekänd.
Most cases begin when garden waste or plants are dumped or allowed to spread outside people's yards, said Tammekänd, an invasive species specialist at the agency.
One such example is Canada goldenrod (solidago canadensis, or kanada kuldvits in Estonian).
She also pointed to lupine (lupinus, or lupiin) as a common example, which are permitted to be grown in gardens but problematic once they start to spread in the wild.
"Large fields of lupine leave nothing else growing," Tammekänd said, noting that the plant is considered a pest elsewhere as well, such as Iceland.
In Finland, a mobile game has even been developed to help tackle invasive species.
"It works," Tammekänd confirmed, adding that while introducing the game in Estonia has been discussed, the prospect is currently limited by budgetary constraints.
Himalayan balsam (impatiens glandulifera, or verev lemmalts) is also spreading rapidly.
"It looks even prettier than lupine," she said, warning it spreads rapidly, crowds out native plants and draws away pollinators.
Hogweed fight continues
Estonia is home to one native species of cow parsnip, or hogweed, (heracleum, or karuputk) — the Siberian cow parsnip (heracleum sibiricum, or siberi karuputk).
Two species, however, are considered invasive: Sosnowsky's hogweed (heracleum sosnowskyi, or Sosonvski karuputk) and giant hogweed (heracleum mantegazzianum, or hiid-karuputk).
Eradication efforts have been underway in Estonia for around 20 years, which has seen notable success despite new outbreaks cropping up.
"Hogweeds are still just knee-high right now," Tammekänd said, adding it should be easy enough for the time being to dig them up by the root if you come across a few.
"There's no point wrestling with a four-meter plant," she added.
Tammekänd urged garden enthusiasts to think carefully about what they choose to plant in their yards.
"Dispose of garden waste on your own property or as required by law," the Environmental Board expert added. "And if you're not confident about removal, like with hogweed, then reach out to us."
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Editor: Annika Remmel, Aili Vahtla
