THE KNOYDART RHODIE CHALLENGE

Rhodies, the local name for Rhododendron ponticum, are a significant threat to biodiversity. Knoydart has successfully pretty much eradicated rhodies from the peninsula.   Now we need your help to keep it that way  - if you spot a rhodie when you are out and about in Knoydart please report it to us using the Report a Rhodie! form at the bottom of this page.

Rhodie History
Rhododendron ponticum  is a hardy evergreen with a dense canopy which is native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia which was introduced to Britain around 1763.
Rhodies can tolerate a wide range of growing conditions, but thrive in areas with acidic soils and high humidity (like the conditions we have here on Knoydart!).

Knoydart Rhodie Invasion
Rhododendrons including ponticum were introduced in Inverie by the Victorians and planted in the Policy Woods around the big houses. By the time of the community buy out in 1999, the lower half of Inverie woods was dominated by Rhodies – many areas were so dense that it was impossible to get through unless by crawling or climbing through the canopy.  The forest floor in these areas was brown and dead. Rhodies were also creeping out into open ground in the glens.

Rhodie bashing circa 2008 in dense rhodies in Inverie Woods

Rhododendron ponticum shoot

Damaging Habitats
"Today Rhododendron ponticum is regarded as the most damaging and most widespread alien plant in semi-natural terrestrial habitats in the UK”*
Reasons why the rhodies loved by the Victorians and admired for their luscious pink blooms have become such a huge problem - they :

• are a threat to the environment by impacting on biodiversity
•  spread vigorously
• dominate & out-compete other plants creating dense shady canopy
  
• stop other plants & trees regenerating
• host pathogens ( phytotphthora) that cause tree diseases
•  damage aquatic ecosystems near rivers/streams can
• are toxic to most herbivores and honey bees
  

*"A critical review of work undertaken to control invasive rhododendron in Scotland"(Parrot & Mackenzie, 2013)

 Knoydart Fights Back
From 1999 "rhodie bashing" was a huge part of KFT's work. After a decade we, with a lot of help from volunteers and countless workers,  had removed nearly all rhodies from the peninsula (except some in private gardens). We also planted some non-invasive rhododendrons around Inverie to replace the undeniably pretty pink blooms of ponticum.
The transformation of cleared areas to rich and diverse habitats is amazing and it can be easy to forget how much of a problem rhodies were on Knoydart.
Overtime the amount of ponticum regrowth was rising despite annual rhodie bashes so in 2020 a sweep of the whole peninsula was carried out to remove all new bushes to stop the rhodies taking hold again. Even a single rhodie bush can reproduce, as they don’t require pollination to reproduce, which is why we need to remove every last bush. Now we need your help!

Filling out a report form
Description of where it was found
Useful information you could include:

• An approximate location of where the bush(es) were seen
• A GPS location of where the bushes are (If you have a GPS or smartphone with an app such as OS Locate installed)
• Any nearby landmarks which might help find them
• The amount and approximate size of the bushes
• Any nearby environmental features (such as burns)

This list isn’t exhaustive, so please add any information which you think could be useful!
Including a picture
As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words (or, ideally in this case, a thousand words and a precise GPS location).
If you are unable to include location data with pictures it isn’t a problem, a picture is still useful in helping us familiarise ourselves with the area the bush was found.

A quick guide on how to save location data with your pictures can be found here.

Supported by: