What is Japanese Knotweed?
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica), also referred to as Polygonum cuspidatum, Reynoutria japonica and Fallopia japonica, is a highly invasive perennial weed that is spreading throughout the UK at an alarming rate.
Japanese Knotweed is a highly invasive plant and is recognised as the most invasive species of plant in Britain today.
Japanese Knotweed is a hardy plant and spreads quickly. It can grow up to 3 metres and flourish in any terrain. Japanese knotweed was imported in the 19th century as a plant to feed cattle. Although Japanese knotweed can look attractive it overwhelms other plants. It grows aggressively and can effectively damage properties.
It can grow at an incredible rate of over 20cm per day! That's one of the fasted growing plants in the UK.
This is because the stem growth is renewed every year from the deeply penetrating rhizomes (underground roots) and the fact that knotweed has no known predator in the UK.
The plant has no natural predators which means it can grow freely without the feart of attack from any other living thing.
The plant does not produce seeds but does grow underground. This means that you may not see it spreding initially until the shoots come through the soil and start to grow very fast.
Japanese Knotweed sleaves are shaped like hearts and have sprouts that have a red coloured tinge to them. In summer,
It is singularly aggressive, crowding out all other flora and breaking through seemingly impenetrable barriers such as tarmac, concrete and brickwork.
Sources
http://www.ecocontrol.co.uk/eradication-services.asp?gclid=CLSC9LS5stACFUWfGwodqLED7g
http://www.environetuk.com/Japanese-Knotweed-Identification
http://www.theknotweedexperts.co.uk/what-is-knotweed/
https://www.japaneseknotweed.london/about-knotweed/