Ireland’s first ‘national conference’ on the invasive rhododendron plant species was held in Killarney, Co. Kerry last Friday (November 5), in which participants agreed that the scale, cost and complexity of the rhododendron issue “is not realised at national scale”.
The conference was hosted by the South Kerry Development Partnership. It saw speakers from both academic and more practical backgrounds outline appropriate treatment methods and planning for rhododendron management.
The event had a mix of in-person and online attendees, with delegates from various parts of the country, particularly Donegal and Connemara, attending to highlight the pervasiveness of the issue across Ireland.
The rhododendron plant is poisonous to livestock and has a detrimental impact on all forms of wildlife, including bees and other insects, as well as birds.
The conference was opened with an address from Minister of State for heritage Malcolm Noonan, who drew attention to the forthcoming National Invasive Species Plan and the upcoming UN Decade of Eco-System Restoration. He said community ambition to address the rhododendron issue “is being matched by government in terms of resourcing and support”.
According to Dr. Therese Higgins of Munster Technological University (MTU), who also addressed the event, 33% of Irish soils could support the plant if the issue is not resolved, which, she argued, could lead to “devastating consequences” for native habitats, including woodlands, peatlands and wet and dry heath.
The meeting also heard from Seamus Hassett, regional manager for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), who highlighted the role of volunteer groups in tackling the problem.
Speakers also drew attention to the use of rhododendron in private gardens becoming a source of seeds, allowing the plant to encroach on adjacent farmland.
Flor McCarthy, a local farmer in the MacGillycuddy Reeks European Innovation Partnership (EIP) and chairperson of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) Hill Farming Committee, told the conference that the time, physical demands and cost of managing rhododendron was beyond what a farmer could manager on their own, a point other farmers in attendance agreed with.
The conference ended by calling for: a national response to support implementation of rhododendron management; incentives for private landowners to adequately manage the plant in their gardens; and support from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for farmers who manage the species on their land.