Page Sec1:26 - Labyrint 2013 - English Edition

They must have enjoyed respect from neighbours and other gardeners,
those fine ladies who introduced colourful and exotic plants to northern
Norway. The plants were admired for their rugged beauty, and thrived in
the city’s gardens. So much so, that they completely took over and spread,
out of control. Now, many of them are blacklisted and unwelcome – and
impossible to get rid of.
“Cow parsley, meadowsweet and fireweed, on the other hand, are all part
of the natural habitat, but spread quickly after large habitat changes,”
explains Arve Elvebakk, a UiT professor and manager of the university’s
botanical gardens.
Garden lupin (Lupinus polyphyllus). Dispersal: The whole
country, with increasing prevalence in the north. Most of the
lupin seen along roads is due to seed dispersal as a result of
road development. Garden lupin tends to outcompete native
species that live in roadside ditches and forest edges. It chan-
ges the soil composition to the benefit of plants that have high
nutrient requirements, causing changes in vegetation. It is
listed as high risk on the Black List. Photo: Arve Elvebakk
Sources: The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, Council for
Biological Diversity (SABIMA), the Norwegian Encyclopaedia.
Japanese rose (Rosa rugosa). Dispersal: Coastal and
fjord areas in southern and central Norway, also found along
the coast in Nordland as far as Salten and Lofoten. It is also
found in Tromsø. Japanese rose is considered an invasive spe-
cies internationally as well, especially in coastal areas and on
beaches. It is difficult to fight, requiring several years of work
to remove whole plants, although spontaneous new growth is
always possible. Photo: Wikimedia commons
Sources: The Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre, Council for
Biological Diversity (SABIMA), the Norwegian Encyclopaedia.
Blacklisted weeds
26 ••• Labyrint E/13 – University of Tromsø
Text: Maja Sojtaric