Japanese Knotweed

According to Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Japanese knotweed is an upright, shrub-like, herbaceous perennial with the ability to grow to over 10 feet tall. The stout, hollow stems are reddish brown with swollen nodes, giving them a bamboo look. Leaves are alternate and egg-shaped, narrowing to a point at the tip. Its greenish-white flowers grow in plume-like clusters in the upper leaf axils in summer followed by small shiny, black-winged fruits.

Small patches can be entirely dug out and disposed, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Repeated mowing or cutting is effective. Systemic herbicides are best to remove Japanese knotwood combined with repetitive stem cutting.

Japanese knotweed is very difficult to get rid of and it continues to grow in any space possible. It can survive severe flooding and can live a wide range of soil types, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

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