Buddleia: The plant that dominates Britain's railways. [View all]

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More people are buying buddleia for their gardens, but it's classified as an invasive species and is a problem on British railways.

It's hard to walk by a railway line in Britain and not see buddleia.

Along fences by the tracks and almost any patch of waste ground, you will notice the long, slender clumps of flowers, usually lilac but also blue, deeper purple or white, at the end of long, arching branches.

BBC weather forecaster Peter Gibbs says the mild, wet winter will have improved germination and growth this year, especially in areas where water normally drains away quickly, such as derelict urban sites. "Buddleia is an opportunist that's always ready to capitalise on any slight advantage."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28196221

The other two main UK "baddies" are Japanese Knotweed and at least one type of Rhododendron. All three were distributed across the UK by train passengers in Victorian times and later underfoot.

Spelling of "buddleia" may vary. Butterflies turned up in my garden just this week.