Japanese knotweed Facts
Japanese knotweed Facts
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| Interesting Japanese knotweed Facts: |
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| Japanese knotweed develops reddish-brown stem that can reach 10 to 13 feet in height. Stem is divided in nodes and it resembles bamboo. |
| Japanese knotweed has thick, knotty rhizome. Brown skin on the surface protects orange, yellow or brown-colored flesh inside. Rhizome can spread 23 feet horizontally and 10 feet in depth. |
| Japanese knotweed develops broad, oval, green leaves with entire margins. Leaves have short petioles and they are alternately arranged on the stem. |
| Japanese knotweed produces creamy, greenish or white, small flowers arranged in raceme (multi-branched, spreading type of inflorescence). |
| Japanese knotweed blooms during the summer. It belongs to the group of dioecious plants (male and female flowers develop on separate plants). Insects are responsible for the pollination of the Japanese knotweed. |
| Fruit of Japanese knotweed is dry three-winged achene filled with small triangular, dark brown seed. |
| Japanese knotweed propagates via seed and division of the rhizome. |
| Japanese knotweed is classified as weed in almost all countries outside its native range due to lack of natural enemies which prevent uncontrolled spreading of this plant. |
| Japanese knotweed can grow 4 inches per day during the summer. It is able to penetrate through the walls, cement and tarmac and destroy sewage system, parts of the house, pavements and other man-made structures in the rural and urban areas. |
| Japanese knotweed is especially wide spread in Great Britain. Englishmen spend millions of pounds each year on eradication of Japanese knotweed. During the preparations for the Olympic Games 2012 in London, Japanese knotweed occupied two main arenas. Organizers have spent 4 years in battle with Japanese knotweed before they finally managed to remove it. |
| Japanese knotweed can survive on any type of soil, in all kinds of habitats. Entire plant can develop from the smallest piece of rhizome that can survive exposure to fire. |
| Japanese knotweed is popular and often used remedy (known as Itadori) in treatment of pain in Japan. |
| Japanese knotweed is edible plant. Cooked young stems taste like sour rhubarb. |
| Flowers of Japanese knotweed are used as a source of nectar in the manufacture of honey in the USA. |
| Japanese knotweed is perennial plant (life span: over two years). |
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