Alongside various other species, the sale of summer lilacs will be banned in Switzerland from September. The plant from China and Tibet is displacing native species and damaging biodiversity.
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- From September, 53 invasive alien plant species may no longer be sold in Switzerland.
- The ban includes popular garden plants such as the cherry laurel, the Ticino palm and the summer lilac.
- These invasive neophytes spread in local protected areas and displace native plant species.
- If native plants are absent, the insects that depend on them also die.
- Anyone who already has one of the affected plants in their garden may keep it despite the ban.
They have been imported or introduced. But just because they come from far away doesn't mean they are harmful. The majority of the approximately 750 neophytes (alien plants) in Switzerland are not a threat to our biodiversity. However, some of them are invasive. These plants spread aggressively and displace native plants. The Federal Council has banned the sale of such invasive neophytes as of September 1.
Not at all good for insects
Summer lilac is also one of the banned plants. It was brought to Europe from China and Tibet at the end of the 19th century and is still a popular ornamental plant in Swiss gardens today. The mostly purple flowers last from June until the fall, look beautiful and are very popular with insects. This is why it is also known as the butterfly bush. And yet it harms the six-legged creatures.
The butterflies feast on the nectar of the lilac and lay their eggs there. As soon as the caterpillars hatch, however, they find no food as they cannot eat the leaves. So they die and do not manage to pupate. In addition, one shrub produces up to three million seeds, which are dispersed by the wind. Where these then sprout, the summer lilac displaces the native flora.
Nature reserves under threat
Nature reserves are particularly affected. Rare and uncompetitive plants grow there. These in turn are a source of food for rare insects and small animals. Summer lilacs can spread rapidly in such areas. In this way, it directly threatens endangered plant and animal species.
In order to contain the spread of summer lilac and other neophytes in the nature reserves, community service workers and volunteers are deployed several times a year. They will not run out of work for the time being.
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