Back in the 1800s, a foreign plant, the Japanese knotweed began to make its growth in an unfamiliar soil in the United Kingdom after it was brought from Asia by traders because of its exotic appeal not knowing of the ordeal and the damage it will bring to people in the near future.
Not knowing the damage it can bring, these were actually unleashing a fiendish problem to a lot of people. The Japanese knotweed can easily regrow up to two-millimeter from the fragment of its root and that is just what it can do when it is left unattended.
It became a huge problem when gardeners and botanists have lost interest in it and have discarded somewhere where it grew uncontrollably.
This invasive plant is not that easy to identify, however, it has a distinct similarity to bamboo even though these are not in the same species or family of the latter. You can identify Japanese knotweed because of its spade-shaped leaves which can quickly grow up to five inches in length. It also blooms white flowers every summer.
However, do not be deceived of its innocent and normal looking vegetation because Japanese knotweed is known to be very invasive because of its never-ending way to grow and sustain itself which can even grow in between tiny gaps from brick walls and concretes. As it makes its way, it will be causing a lot of damage to structures, pavements, and foundations which is totally difficult to repair.
The speed growth of Japanese knotweed can almost be of something that you can totally admire because of its resiliency to nature, however, it does more damage than beauty to nature. The Japanese knotweed can easily infiltrate the smallest cracks there is and can even grow under sewerages and canals.
The Japanese knotweed has turned out into a pest in the United Kingdom because of its invasive nature by consuming all the nourishment available in the habitat depriving natural species of plants in the area, not to mention destroying natural habitats for animals, destroying natural river banks which cause unwanted flooding in a certain area.
To help you identify where the Japanese knotweed can grow, check out a detailed list below:
- Underground– knowing that the Japanese knotweed does not stop in growing and sustaining itself, it insatiably grows underground particularly at drainages, sewerages, and canals and grows upwards to find sunlight through small cracks, gaps, joints, and even inside pipes where it can expand quickly and eventually creates damages to its surroundings.
- Concrete surfaces– Usually, driveways, patio slabs, and asphalt surfaces are the number one structures that are damaged by the Japanese knotweed.
- Buildings– knowing that Japanese knotweed grows in-between gaps and joints, it can also crawl on building walls and eventually creates bigger cracks both on the inside and outside of its concrete walls.
- Walls– Since it can grow and crawl through walls and pavements, if left unattended, it can create a lot of damages to walls and can compromise the structural integrity of a building.
