Indian Balsam
Some beekeepers also see a benefit in Indian balsam. The inflorescence is said to be insect friendly. The pink flowers, which are in clusters and whose flowering period extends from the beginning of June to the first frosts in autumn, are usually pollinated by honey bees, more rarely by bumblebees. With plenty of sweet nectar and pollen, it provides food for numerous small insects. When the pod is ripe, the seed coat bursts open, throwing the seed up to 7 m away. A plant can produce up to 2.500 seeds per year.
The Indian balsam is a typical late summer plant that originally did not exist here. It comes from the Himalayas and was imported to England in 1839 as a garden and bee plant. Since then it has been considered a new plant, even an “invasive neophyte”.
Due to the lack of predators and the resulting massive spread ("immigrated, invasive neophytes"), they disrupt ecosystems, displace native plants, can endanger bank protection or even trigger allergies.
It is therefore necessary to implement population regulations for such invasive species.
Hardworking students HBLA Ursprung implemented environmentally friendly neophyte management with our farmers during their holiday practice in August 2020 and removed the Indian Balsam by hand:
Picture above: Project manager Diana Reuter with two students from the HBLA Ursprung
Below are two videos of the "balsam harvest":
Himalayan balsam, often referred to as Indian or red balsam, originally comes from the Himalayan region.
Since the Indian balsam often forms mass populations and thus displaces native species, the spread must be contained. Two students of HBLA Ursprung removed balsam by hand from our local farmers in August 2020.
Due to its massive spread and low root mass, it increases the susceptibility to erosion on embankments. The Indian balsam requires locations with moist and wet soil, so it often grows in partial shade and near running water.
Balsam is slightly poisonous when fresh, which is why our two HBLA students wear work gloves.
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