Abseilers drafted in to tackle River Tweed giant hogweed

Giant hogweed is one of a number of invasive non-native plant species that Tweed Forum works to reduce. 

It resembles a huge cow parsley when mature and can grow up to 16 feet tall. 

It has toxic sap which can cause severe burns and blistering if it comes into contact with the skin. 

Tweed Forum’s work has resulted in a vast reduction in the density and abundance of giant hogweed in the 5,000 km² river catchment.

But the organisation still removes thousands of the plants, which often grow in inaccessible areas, each year.  

Tweed Forum’s invasive species project officer, Emily Iles, said: “Giant hogweed was introduced to the UK by Victorian plant collectors who added it to their exotic botanical collections without realising the problems that would be caused when the plants inevitably escaped from these cultivated collections. 

“The river network is an ideal transportation network for giant hogweed with each plant able to produce between 20,000-50,000 seeds which can remain dormant in the soil for many years. 

“Despite the challenging nature of this particular plant, our two decades of giant hogweed control have greatly reduced plant numbers on the main stem of the River Tweed. 

“Our trained volunteers and contractors do the majority of work tackling the plants, but we do occasionally have to call on specialist help like these abseilers for hard-to-reach areas.”

Tweed Forum’s invasives project also works to reduce Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and American skunk cabbage across the catchment. 

These plants can cause riverbank erosion and increased flood-risk and threaten the area’s native biodiversity including destroying spawning and nursery habitat for salmonid fish species.  

Tweed Forum’s invasive species control work is an important element of the £25 million Destination Tweed river revitalisation project, which includes the creation of a 113-mile source to sea River Tweed Trail.