There is growing concern all over the UK about Ash die-back disease caused by the Chalara fraxinea fungus. Denmark has lost 90% of its Ash trees very quickly due to this fungus! Like Dutch Elm disease it has now hit the UK from imported saplings to a Scottish nursery, some 200,000. These were planted in Scotland and Northern Ireland and it has been confirmed to infected parts of East Anglia already.
It does not kill all the Ash trees and the hope is the miracle tress as they are called can give seed that saplings can be grown from that are immune from the disease.
This is terrible news for forestry and the environment, let alone gardens with specimen Ash trees in.
Then another problem we have is a north American plant called Floating pennywort or
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
This is clogging our waterways and killing our fish stocks off. So far it is costing £25 million a year for some of its removal, a lot is being done by volunteers as well. It is a nightmare.
Regards.
Neil.
p.s. This is a river and is clogged. Animals are dying in it as they think it is solid, and it is not!
