Invasive species

A bright photograph on social media with an armful of lupins or surrounded by goldenrods seems attractive until you realise that these plant species are comparable to the much-detested and aggressive Spanish slug and the menacing Sosnowsky's hogweed. This is because garden lupins, Canadian goldenrods, Sosnowsky's hogweed, and the Spanish slug are all examples of invasive species in Latvia's nature. Not native to the local environment but now well-established in many places, these species are able to reproduce quickly, spread, and quite aggressively outcompete domestic species, thereby threatening Latvia's biodiversity. They are capable of overcoming weaker species and often lack natural predators, causing economic damage (a battle against windmills – the fight against hogweed) and disrupting human well-being.