Hi all, first time poster. I just moved into a home and have a plant growing in and around a a flower bed that is getting very tall. I have attached two pictures but can't seem to find anyone who knows what it is. Ideas? And if it is a weed, how should I go about removing it? Thanks in advance!
Uh-oh. That's not just a weed, that's a noxious weed. Fallopia japonica or Polygonum cuspidatum, also known as Japanese knotweed. DO NOT pull it out -- just like bamboo or bindweed, it reproduces from even a tiny piece of root. Many sources are available on the Internet to suggest methods of control, but be aware that it is a long term project. It is also something almost impossible to eradicate using organic methods. Try these to start: http://landscaping.about.com/cs/weedsdiseases/a/knotweed.htm http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/north/msg1112424315941.html (older discussion but good) You may also want to contact your local agricultural college or department of environment at the state level for guidance. Good luck -- in my old neighbourhood the city attempted to control a clump by paving it over. Over and over and over. Ten years on, they were still getting shoots coming up through the asphalt. keke
Re: 12" and higher plant, taking over flower beds Looks like a Japanese Knotweed. You have already quite bad infestation of it, sorry.
Re: 12" and higher plant, taking over flower beds Thanks for the reply, even if it is bad news. I just moved into the house and don't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing.
This stuff is taking over at an unprecedented rate in Greater Vancouver right now. Good luck getting rid of it, there should be severe penalties for people that are helping to spread this plant.
I suppose you could do what another member did to Invasive Bamboo...cut the branches and pour down glyphosate. Find that in Tumbleweed/Roundup etc. its Illegal to have it growing yet we must be careful how we dispose of it. You can keep digging it out from the roots over a few seasons its in active growth, sooner or later it will die.
Err! Even digging it up will not kill it. Even a tiny bit left in the soil will re grow. It is a complete thug. In this country it cost millions to try and keep it in check. It will grow through tarmac...even concrete. Mortgage companies have refuse a mortgage on a property IF they find Japanese knotweed. http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/media/3631616/JKGuidance.pdf
Thankfully they still gave us our mortgage! This stuff is such a pain. I have even more of it than expected and it is here and there throughout the yard. The prior owners did awesome landscaping so I am wondering if they left when this stuff came in. I am going to try trimming it back this summer and then, in the fall, pour some Roundup in the stalks. We'll see!
Plant asked about is Bohemian knotweed, which is frequently misidentified as Japanese knotweed. It has a more egg-shaped, less heart-shaped leaf than Japanese knotweed.
As always thank you Ron for keeping us on our toes! Another new name to remember.....Polygonum x bohemicum This link compares the 3 main culprits. http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=2137003
Ron - if it is Japanese knotweed, many municipalities, and Metro, have budgeted for a small crew to inject a pesticide into the plant stem directly, perhaps you may wish to explore that possibility in your area. Michael B. Maple Ridge
Thanks for the update. When trying to eradicate the knotweed, is there a difference between Bohemian and Japanese Knotweed?
