Gardeners warned about pretty plant that’s ‘just as invasive’ as Japanese Knotweed and it can grow ‘basically anywhere’

GARDENERS across the UK have been warned about a common plants that’s can be a nightmare to deal with.

Buddleia is known for it’s stunning purple blooms and strong scent – and it’s a common plant in gardens.

It’s also nicknamed Butterfly Bush because it is so popular with butterflies.

But despite it’s appealing look the plant is incredibly invasive and can even cause damage to buildings if not dealt with properly.

Jennifer Holms from Environment Controls said the plant can be as “difficult to control or get rid of” as Japanese Knotweed – another incredibly invasive species.

How does Buddleia spread?

Buddleia spreads by airborne seeds which can land and germinate in building cracks and crevices.

The plant can even reach a staggering 15ft in height.

Although it might not be quite as notorious Japanese Knotweed gardeners should still be cautious of the plant.

And while it’s not outlawed by Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act it can still spread quickly causing significant damage to the foundations of your home, if you’re unlucky.

What damage can Buddleia cause?

Jennifer said: “Both Buddleia and knotweed can cause significant damage to building structures.

“However Buddleia is less likely to damage underground infrastructure due to its shallow root system.

“Both are highly invasive and difficult to eradicate, but Buddleia (unlike knotweed) can grow in hard to access areas such as roofs, guttering, window sills and walls basically anywhere that a seed lands it can grow.”

The plant is viewed by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as an invasive non-native species.

Although it’s great for attracting insects, Jonathan Barton, Director of PBA Solutions, previously told The Sun Buddleia can be “more troublesome” than Japanese Knotweed.

“Buddleia, in many ways, can be more troublesome than Japanese Knotweed because of its ability to spread by seed, with those seeds able to germinate in tricky places under pretty inhospitable conditions.

“This ability to germinate easily is why buddleia is often seen growing out the sides of buildings and other built structures.

“Nine times out of ten, if you look up at a building and see a plant growing from the brickwork or chimney stack, it is buddleia.

“But that’s not where it ends, once established in a building wall or roof, the plant sends down, fibrous roots and can cause significant damage to buildings as it grows.”

Buddleia is amazingly prolific at producing its own seeds – it has been estimated that a single buddleia flower spike can produce over 40,000 seeds.

Jonathan added: “Buddleia roots will penetrate deep into structures, making them difficult to remove.

“We have seen buildings ripped apart due to Buddleia, and railway arches frequently become the victims of this plant.”

How to get rid of Buddleia?

The expert said: “Herbicide applications (weedkiller) are the obvious choice, but don’t work as well on older plants and are only likely to be completely effective if a structured treatment regime is completed over several years.”

One simple way to prevent buddleia from spreading is to cut off the flowers before they set seed.

Ideally, dry the cuttings out quickly and compost them in a sealed bag.

Of course, if you have a large buddleia then this could be difficult or even impossible to achieve.

Buddleia can be pruned back every year and this will limit the size of the plant and the number of flowers.