Japanese Knotweed has been spotted on the industrial estate on Chilton by sharp eyed Sarah Barron from Suffolk County Council. The Community Wardens and owners of the site have been informed.
This is nasty stuff! Listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the World’s 100 most invasive species, and the most invasive plant in Britain, it is hard to control once it takes hold. Left to its own devices it will happily block drains, crack up concrete and even grow through floorboards into your living room.
Introduced as a garden plant to the UK in the 19th century, the plant will flourish almost anywhere. Because it has a very widespread root system the only way to get rid of it is by the use of herbicides, and those containing glysophate have been found to be effective if used with sufficient determination. Experiments using sea water spray have apparently also had some results! The weed is not a new problem. Initially recognised as a problem in the 1950’s by the Weeds Act, it was made illegal to propagate it, or to allow it to spread by the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. Additionally the 1990 Environmental Protection Act designated the weed as controlled waste which means that it must be disposed of in special licensed landfill sites so if you find it don’t just stick it in your brown bin!
Interestingly the plant is not without some positive features. Apparently its flowers make a good honey, and parts of it are edible, tasting a little like rhubarb. However if you find some growing in your garden immediate eradication is not just recommended, it is almost certainly mandatory! There is a good deal of information on the Countryside Commission Website, and there are also commercial firms that claim to eradicate the plant if it proves to be beyond the power of weedkillers available to the general public.
Babergh’s Environmental Protection Department does not directly handle issues related to invasive plants but has links on its website to Defra and Natural England. Defra’s Weedline, which should be able to give initial advice can be contacted on 0117 959 8622.
You have been warned!
Thanks to Peter Clifford, Chairman of Chilton Parish Council for alerting me to this.
