Alarm on the North Sea: potato rose destroys coastal protection and ecosystem!

Alarm on the North Sea: potato rose destroys coastal protection and ecosystem!

Cuxhaven, Deutschland - The potato rose known as Adolf Hitler-Rose spreads alarming on the German North Sea coast. This invasive manner not only threatens the domestic ecosystem, but also endangers the stability of the dikes. Originally from East Asia, the potato rose was once introduced as an ornamental plant, but its aggressive spread has now reached all coastal regions, including the East Frisian Islands. "It displaces domestic plant species and weakens the defensibility of the dunes against storm surges," warns Fabian Buß from the Lower Saxony State Operation for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN).

The roots of the potato rose are unable to offer the necessary support in protective dunes, which leads to an increased risk of erosion. Although the NLWKN takes measures to combat the rose, it is extremely difficult due to the size of the population and the resistance of the plant. The control takes place selectively and is associated with high effort, since the rose quickly regenerates and spreads again. These developments are not only an ecological problem, but also represent a serious threat to the coastal protection measures, reports www.merkur.de .