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Why do invasive alien plants pose a problem in the Flemish coastal dunes? Pick one or more answers.

    • They have no natural enemies here, so they can grow without restraint.

    • They alter the biological composition of the dune soils.

    • Their leaves hijack all the sunlight and smother the indigenous plants.

    • Their roots are very strong and often extend underground, which allows them to spread very quickly.

    • The nectar of some plants is harmful to indigenous dune animals.


The nectar of invasive alien plants is not that much of a problem for the indigenous dune nature. Their lack of natural local enemies, their strong roots and their dense foliage, on the contrary, are. These factors allow them to grow unrestrained at the expense of the native plants. In addition, they alter the biological composition of the dune soils, which is detrimental to the indigenous dune nature.

Which of these invasive plants may no longer be sold in Europe? Pick one or more answers.

    • The Oregon grape

    • The Chinese wolfberry

    • The tree of heaven

    • The Japanese rose

    • The eastern baccharis


Since 2016, there has been a European ban on the possession, trade, cultivation, transport and import of the eastern baccharis. This ban has been in place for the tree of heaven since 2019. For the Oregon grape, the Chinese wolfberry and the Japanese rose, there is unfortunately no such ban as yet.

Which of these native dune plants are suffering from the pressure of invasive alien plants? Pick one or more answers.

    • The dune gentian

    • Marram grass

    • The sea holly

    • The bedstraw broomrape


All native plants are threatened by invasive alien plants, even marram grass.

Which of these indigenous animals face difficulties due to invasive alien plants? Pick one or more answers.

    • The grayling

    • The herring gull

    • The natterjack toad

    • The northern dune tiger beetle

    • The grey bush cricket


The herring gull is not a typical dune inhabitant and is hardly bothered by the invasive plants. Real dune inhabitants, such as the grey bush cricket, the natterjack toad, the northern dune tiger beetle and the grayling, are indeed threatened, among other things by the deterioration of their habitat and the disappearance of their favourite plants.

In which type of dunes do we find most orchids? Pick one answer.

    • Dune forests

    • Humid dune pans

    • Drift dunes

    • Dune bushes


The largest numbers and most species of orchids are found in humid dune pans.

Which type of dunes is the typical habitat of the natterjack toad? Pick one answer.

    • Dune forests

    • Humid dune pans

    • Drift dunes

    • Dune bushes


Humid dune pans are the favourite dune habitat of the natterjack toad.

What do the berries of the indigenous sea buckthorn look like? Pick one answer.


The sea buckthorn has orange berries. The three other berries are from invasive plants: the round red ones are from the cotoneaster, the blue ones from the Oregon grape and the oval red ones from the Chinese wolfberry.

Which of these tropical plants have meanwhile also found their way into the Flemish coastal dunes? Pick one or more answers.

    • The monstera

    • The yucca

    • The palm tree

    • The prickly pear


For the time being, only the yucca has settled in our dunes, for example in Oostduinkerke. For now, the native dune nature has been spared from the monstera, the palm tree and the prickly pear.

Why does LIFE DUNIAS use excavators to remove the invasive plants? Pick one or more answers.

    • It is the most efficient method, especially in the long run.

    • It is the cheapest method.

    • It is the only method allowing to remove the plants effectively without using pesticides.

    • Due to the shortage on the labour market, there are not enough professional gardeners.


Excavators can be used to remove the invasive plants root and all. This is certainly not the cheapest method, but it is the only one that avoids the use of harmful pesticides. With professional gardeners, this ambitious task is hopeless.

How can you help yourself fighting invasive plants? Pick one or more answers.

    • By spotting them in the dunes and registering them via observation.org or the ObsIdentify app.

    • I cannot do anything myself, except trust that LIFE DUNIAS will do the job.

    • By taking a photo of them and sharing it on social media with #woekerplant.

    • By preventing my garden waste from ending up in the wild.


You can help in different ways. By registering them via observation.org or the ObsIdentify app, you let LIFE DUNIAS know where there is still work to be done. By taking a photo of them and posting it on social media, you help make more people aware of the problem. By preventing garden waste from ending up in the wild, you avoid invasive plants taking root there.

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