The rogue’s gallery
A fiendish band of rogues have invaded Britain’s canals and rivers, and they show no signs of moving on yet - but we’re not talking about pirates.
No, these ‘fiends’ are actually the many invasive species of plant and animal that have made their way into the UK’s waterways in recent years, ranging from seemingly harmless weeds to aggressive mink and Red-Eared Terrapins.
Invasive non-native species such as these can cause devastating effects to native wildlife, competing for food, space, sunlight, and water. The animals can often be bigger and more aggressive, whilst the plants choke canals and rivers with their rapid growth and cause no end of damage to waterway infrastructure. Click on the links below to find out more about Britain’s 12 worst offending plants and animals.
In this section ...
Giant Hogweed
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This former ‘beauty queen’ of 19th century ornamental gardens can now be found along waterways and areas of wasteland, reaching heights of up to 5 metres.
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Red-eared Terrapin
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Britain’s inland waterways were a safer place for bird eggs and insect larvae before these reptiles came along.
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Zebra Mussel
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These stripy stowaways landed in Britain’s waterways on the hulls of ships from Eastern Europe and decided to stay.
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Floating Pennywort
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Introduced to the UK in the 1980s by the aquatic nursery trade, this fleshy-stemmed plant uses its roots to inter-weave a floating mat of lush foliage.
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Japanese Knotweed
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One of the most invasive weeds in Britain, the Japanese Knotweed’s dense growth crowds out native vegetation, erodes riverbanks and causes structural damage.
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Australian Swamp Stonecrop
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The Australian Swamp Stonecrop is also known as New Zealand Pigmyweed, and was originally sold in garden centres as an ‘oxygenating plant’.
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American Signal Crayfish
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Found throughout England, these 15cm long beasts are aggressive, breed faster than the native species, and damage banks with their burrowing.
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Water Fern
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This popular pond plant, originally native only to North and Central America, is also known as Fairy Fern.
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Zander
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This wide-mouthed predator has excellent vision and fang-like teeth, which it uses to eat native fish and steal their food.
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American Mink
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The bully of the inland waterways, the American mink is often mistaken for an otter because of its thick, brown fur.
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Himalayan Balsam
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Despite its soothing name, this densely growing pink and red-stemmed weed stifles any native grasses and plants in its path.
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Chinese Mitten Crab
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