The world's most invasive plant species, often encouraged by overgrazing (a modern evil caused by over-eager humans seeking the maximum living from land, compounded by the elimination of all those useful predatirs which used to keep the grazers in check). Often harbours sheep ticks, too, a hazard to geographers, although in this instance I was on the bridleway just above the grazing land and relatively safe. Recent winds had reduced the autumn colours to a shadow of their best, although there seem to be a few oaks valiantly holding on to their leaves.
Uploaded to Geograph by Andy Waddington on 7 December 2013
Photo © Andy Waddington, 7 December 2013. Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons licence