Hi, Last December we bought a home in the Chilliwack area and this plant appeared in our front flower bed. It grew very quickly and as we watched in amazement it started to flower and continues to do so....the bees love it...and it would be nice to know what it is....flowers are orchid -like....stalk is huge....Plant is over 6 feet tall, and very prolific volunteer..
Himalayan Balsam, Impatiens glandulifera, unfortunately a very invasive species. Not sure if it is a problem in your region but it is in other countries with a similar climate.
High on the list of invasive plants in S.W. BC. These can invade & dominate a whole watercourse in a few years. Cut it down & compost it before the seed pods appear.
We did cut this tree down as you indicated last year and even went to the trouble to bag it prior to clipping the branches as the seed pods shot seeds every which way....it is one hardy plant....we have plucked over 65 seedlings from our yard thus far...of course some roots remained from the little guys so will have to be diligent. Thanks for your help last year...I think without the advice our problem would have been far more severe.
There are seeds in the soil though, that can be viable for many years, so it is a good idea to be watchful.
Yes I saw somewhere that the seeds are very indestructible also. They survive years underwater even....scarey plant.
