July 2010

Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is an increasingly prolific and invasive plant species that has spread across much of the US including upstate New York and the Adirondacks. It is considered a noxious weed in New York State and eradication programs have been enacted in the Adirondacks with herbicides being one of the main weapons of mass destruction. The plant resembles bamboo, but is actually in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) and is native in South Central Asia and Japan. Japanese knotweed  spreads aggressively through its rhizome with even small pieces growing into plants. It chooses to grow along the edges of fields, waterways, and roads with a particular fondness for disturbed areas where there was once toxic waste of sorts. It is a perennial and grows up to 6ft. high with broadly ovate leaves and white, cascading flowers and hollow stems. This is the bad news...