The perils of Japanese Knotweed

The potential trials and tribulations of Fallopia japonica – more commonly known as Japanese Knotweed – have been explored by sector commentator Lorna Blackwood.

Writing in the online pages of the Times, she notes that the plant is capable of growing up to seven feet in a single season and has a number of other potentially troublesome features.

Introduced into the UK from Japan in 1825, Ms Blackwood notes that the weed "spreads relentlessly, damages property and overwhelms other garden plants".

She explains that she spoke to an expert on how to remove the pesky plant from her green space he suggested that the only sure-fire way of removing it from a garden is to dig it out.

"Contact your local landscaping company or even building contractor – it is akin to building foundations for a house as you have to go down a few metres to dig out the root," Ms Blackwood concludes.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs states that a fragment of Japanese Knotweed root as small as 0.8 grams can grow into a new plant.