{"id":338,"date":"2025-11-01T12:24:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T10:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tadoley.com\/?p=338"},"modified":"2025-11-01T12:24:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T10:24:45","slug":"what-is-schedule-9-understanding-the-wildlife-and-countryside-act-1981","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tadoley.com\/?p=338","title":{"rendered":"What is Schedule 9? Understanding the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament designed to protect native species of animals and plants in England and Wales. It also covers nature conservation, the countryside, National Parks and Public Rights of Way.<\/p>\n

Why was the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 introduced?<\/h2>\n

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981<\/a> was introduced to strengthen laws protecting native species of plants and animals, to protect important wildlife and conservation sites, and to provide safeguards against the spread of invasive non-native species.<\/p>\n

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Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 \u2013 Schedule 9<\/h2>\n

\"Rhododendron<\/p>\n

Schedule 9 is the part of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 that lists non-native species already established in the wild which pose a threat to wildlife and habitat conservation. It also controls reintroduction programmes of some native species, such as the barn owl.<\/p>\n

The section of particular relevance for gardeners is the list of plant species that are illegal to plant or otherwise cause to grow in the wild in England and Wales. There’s similar legislation for Scotland and Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

A selection of the most common Schedule 9 species are listed below.<\/p>\n

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Schedule 9 plant list<\/h2>\n

These are the Schedule 9 plants you’re most likely to come across. A full list of plants can be found on the Government website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The letters after the plant indicate whether it’s on Schedule 9 in England and Wales (E&W), Northern Ireland (NI) or the Republic of Ireland (RI). In Scotland, it’s an offense to plant any <\/strong>non-native plant in the wild or to cause it to grow in the wild. The law in Scotland is also more restrictive about invasive species growing in gardens.<\/p>\n

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Aquatic plants<\/h3>\n

\"Water<\/p>\n

Aquatic plants can be particularly problematic as they’re easily transferred from pond to pond (for example, on the feet of birds or with other aquatic plants) and can become extremely invasive in the wild. By choosing native pond plants<\/a>, you can eliminate these risks.<\/p>\n