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The most successful female in the world
Aug. 9th, 2007 09:23 amAll Japanese Knotweed plants in the UK are in fact the same plant. They are all clones of a single female and the plant spreads solely by bits of rhizome being moved from one place to another. It can be distributed by people trying to remove it as they distribute bits by digging them up (fly tipping is a real problem). Floods can transport broken-off pieces downstream.
It is extraordinarily invasive and has no natural enemies outside of Japan.
I still recall listening to Gardener's Question Time on one occasion when a listener asked for advice on removing Japanese Knotweed. One suggested napalm, another sighed in resignation and said, "Move house".
Why don't we have tighter laws on plant/animal imports and sales? The economic damage from Japanse Knotweed alone is staggering (it can push through tarmac, damage foundations, etc) and many other species are equally bad.
When I go for a walk, I can easily spot plant species that have escaped from gardens. Some, especially European ones, do little harm, but others (like European plants introduced to America and Australia) get everywhere. The purple loosestrife that is harmless in my garden is a major problem in North America.
It is extraordinarily invasive and has no natural enemies outside of Japan.
I still recall listening to Gardener's Question Time on one occasion when a listener asked for advice on removing Japanese Knotweed. One suggested napalm, another sighed in resignation and said, "Move house".
Why don't we have tighter laws on plant/animal imports and sales? The economic damage from Japanse Knotweed alone is staggering (it can push through tarmac, damage foundations, etc) and many other species are equally bad.
When I go for a walk, I can easily spot plant species that have escaped from gardens. Some, especially European ones, do little harm, but others (like European plants introduced to America and Australia) get everywhere. The purple loosestrife that is harmless in my garden is a major problem in North America.
