First reports of alien plants in natural areas in Poland.
During surveys conducted in 2022-2024, two invasive alien plant species (Phyllostachys bissetii and Miscanthus x giganteus both members of the Poaceae family) were observed in south-eastern Poland.
Phyllostachys bissetii
Phyllostachys bissetii is a species of running (leptomorph) bamboo species native to east Asia. It was recorded in February 2022 on the Lubatówka River which is part of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. P. bissetii has not been previously recorded in the natural environment in Europe. In 2022, the population was recorded to occupy 4 m2 and in 2024 this had expanded to an area occupying 18 m in length and 1.5–4 m wide, occupying in total, approximately 50 m2. Disturbance in the riparian system may facilitate the spread of the species.
Miscanthus x giganteus
Miscanthus is a genus of perennial grass species with bamboo-like stems. M. × giganteus was detected along the Magierka Stream (tributary of the San river) in August 2023. It was recorded in one patch with six stems approximately 3.5 m tall. By July 2024 this had increased to 12 stems. M. × giganteus flowers in autumn (in Poland) but, as a sterile hybrid, it does not produce seeds. It has the potential to spread widely in riparian areas if floods erode banks and transport fragments of its rhizomes to new areas. The persistence of the population highlights that this hybrid is able to tolerate winter temperatures.
Further surveys should be conducted to assess if additional populations of either species occur in the local area and if identified these should be eradicated.
Sources
Bylak A, Bobiec A, Bobiec M, Kukula K, Low T (2025) Early warning of two emerging plant invaders in Europe. Scientific Reports 15, 11666. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-95582-x