Rhododendron Ponticum
This plant is a non-native invasive species in Scotland and is listed on Schedule 9 of the UK Wildlife and Countryside Act. It originally comes from the Iberian peninsula, Eastern Europe and West Asia and was brought to Britain in the Victorian period to plant as an ornamental shrub around estate houses. It was also used to provide cover for game birds and planted as shelter belts.
Rhododendron Ponticum spreads readily through seed and layering of branches. It has escaped from gardens into the natural landscape, forming a closed canopy which shuts out the light, and acidifies the soil, destroying the biodiversity of woodland.
In Scotland, this threatens the rare and precious coastal temperate rainforest.
Some efforts have been made to eradicate the species. For example, the National Trust for Scotland initiated Project Wipeout in 2020, which offered residents of Torridon a plant swap scheme. They assisted homeowners in eradicating the invasive Rhododendron from their garden and replaced them with non-invasive species.
