Be Plant Wise
OATA supports this important campaign from the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat which aims to ensure aquatic and terrestrial plants do not spread out of the garden. We would urge all retailers which sell aquatic plants to display Be Plant Wise information and include links to your websites. You can also get free point of sale information to display – a great idea at pond season time.
The Be Plant Wise campaign has three simple messages:
- Know what you grow – choose the right plants for your garden, pond and water features.
- Stop the spread – keep your plants in your garden and don’t plant them, or allow them to grow, in the wild.
- Compost with care – dispose of your unwanted plants, roots, weeds, seeds, and seed heads responsibly.
Plants you can’t sell
There are a number of aquatic plants that can no longer be sold in the UK. You can find the full list here, along with other ornamental aquatic species that cannot be sold in the UK.
Don’t be foiled by the wrong milfoil
Check out our handy guide for retailers to help them make sure they are selling the right Milfoil plants.
Don’t sell aquarium plants for use in ponds
We are concerned that retailers may be turning to aquarium plants, such as Egeria densa (which can sometimes be sold under the incorrect name Elodea densa), as an alternative to Lagarosiphon. These plants should only be sold for aquariums. Aquarium plants should never be sold for use in ponds because of their potential to become invasive – some can tolerate cooler water.
Another concern is that retailers may be offered Myriophyllum heterophyllum (a North American Water Milfoil) as an alternative submerged pond plant. This plant is known to be causing issues in other parts of Northern Europe and there is already a voluntary ban on selling this plant in Holland. We are therefore calling on the UK industry to refrain from supplying and selling this plant to British pond owners.
Plant Passports
If you sell plants online you do need to pass plant passports onto the customers but not if you sell direct to customers in your shop. The Plant Sale Scenario document from APHA (below) is useful to see if plant passports apply to you.
