Volunteers on Dartmoor National Park are working to remove an invasive plant species that can reportedly fire seeds up to seven metres in the air.

The Himalayan balsam was brought to the UK by the Victorians as it only grows naturally on the foothills of the Himalayas in Pakistan and India.

The plant, which grows along the water’s edge, reaching up to 2.5 metres in height, is famous for its explosive seed pods which can scatter seeds up to 23 feet wide.

It is illegal to grow the Himalayan balsam, which is also present throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. The EU included it in a list of invasive alien species in 2017.

Experts are warning that the rapidly growing plant has become a threat to native species in addition to disrupting the pollination of local bees.

Speaking to the BBC, invasive plant expert Mervyn Newman said the Himalayan balsam was a problem on riverbanks as it occupies large areas only to disappear in late autumn, exposing the land to erosion.

"The growth can be sort of exponential. Once it gets to a point that it goes mad [and] it's dominating... it's much more difficult to deal with," he said.

Bees are also attracted to the plant as it produces more nectar, to the detriment of native species.

Volunteer Gundel Bonfield advised people to remove the plant by pulling it up and cutting it into smaller pieces, adding that it was better to do this before the plant began flowering and seeding.

"Everybody can help," she told the BBC.