Himalayan Balsam St Mullins

 

Himalayan Balsam on The Barrow River No 23

Himalayan Balsam! Ok! Ok! it’s an invasive species but sure what isn’t these days between Asian clams in the river Barrow and Japanese knot weed up the road, Grey squirrels in Bahana Wood, bussard’s in the sky and this last couple of years we hear the mating Tap Tap of the Woody Wood pecker. As the name suggests Himalayan Balsam comes from Himalayas and was brought into the country in the 1830s. Many of these plants like Rhododendron were brought into the wealthy estates to adorn their private gardens and have since gone wild, like the natives. Who brought in the Rabbits was it those dastardly Normans? and the grey squirrel they say he was brought into Ireland as present in for a Big house wedding in County Longford. As far back as 1789 the British were bringing plants back from the South Pacific on ships like the Bounty captained by William Bligh, he got his come uppance when the crew mutinied. The crew of the Bounty threw all his breadfruit plants over board and went off into the sunset with their women from Tahiti.

St Mullins is a very international spot buried in the Mystical Barrow River Valley. When you walk up river in the summer in St Mullins there is a beautiful display of pink flowers adding great colour which is just stunning and it’s been there as long as anyone can remember .The wise men say it arrived in Ireland in 1830’s .The Locals say it arrived with wheat from Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada when Odlum’s the millers were importing grain, but does  it really matter .It has all kind of names Himalayan Balsam, Indian Balsam, Jumping Jack ,Policeman’s Helmet and of course the botanical name” Impatiens Glandulifera” and it has a second or is it third cousin called Busy Lissie, everyone is related around here.

Now the Himalayan Balsam is loved by the Bee keepers because it flowers late and is a wonderful source of nectar for the bees allowing them to make a very rich honey. It is wonderful to watch the Bees moving from plant to plant oblivious that anyone is watching.

The flowers can be used in salads as an edible flower decoration and frozen in ice cubes for summer drinks giving great colour and the hollow stalks can be used as straws, now there is one for saving the environment no more plastic and definitely biodegradable. We have become accustomed to buying everything in the supermarket and our knowledge of the food and plants around us is fast disappearing.

The children can have great fun with the seed pods if they hold them gently and close their hand the warmth of their hand with make them explode great fun and it doesn’t cost a penny. In March the back water is full of Frog spawn turning into tadpoles as the days become warmer in April. Over the summer little frogs can be seen jumping about in the shallow taters behind the Indian Balsam. There are so many birds and animals on the river Barrow for the youngsters to enjoy, water hens and ducks, tree creepers, cormorants, otters they are all there. Amongst the Balsam the Yellow Iris or Flag stand proudly above the Water Lilly’s. Just sit on the bank and be patient, “No programme No agenda, No iPhone.”

The Himalayan Balsam turns St Mullins and the Barrow River into a sea of pink for the summer, its Mystical.