Perennial plants are one of the most exciting parts of gardening, as seeing plants and flowers return each spring brings joy. However, one Redditor took to the site asking for help with an aggressive and invasive perennial.
The Reddit post shows a photo of a garden along a fence full of a leafy plant with a dark purplish stalk. The photo is captioned "impossible to eradicate, invasive and perennial. what is this terminator of a plant and how do I get rid of it?"
This photo unfortunately shows the highly invasive Japanese knotweed. If you are familiar with this plant, you know how much trouble it can cause. The Invasive Species Center in Canada stated, "It is able to grow through concrete/asphalt up to 8 cm thick and building foundations."
Japanese knotweed — native to Asian countries such as Japan and China — was originally brought to the United States as an ornamental plant for gardens but quickly became invasive. According to the National Parks Service, "It is currently one of the most invasive plants in the world and is thought to be found on every continent besides Antarctica."
Invasive species disrupt ecosystems by outcompeting other organisms. In the case of Japanese knotweed, it grows so quickly that nearly all other plants are crowded out, unable to get nutrients from the soil or the benefits of the sun.
Loss of biodiversity is a driver of climate change. According to a study done in 2019, forests with higher biodiversity were typically better at absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Preserving biodiversity may help us reduce the amount of planet-warming gases in the atmosphere.
Folks in the comments commiserated with the original posters' fight with Japanese knotweed. One person wrote "This is literally the only plant where I would suggest getting in a professional to get rid. I'm usually anti-herbicide, but injecting this stuff with professional grade herbicide is pretty much the only way to get rid of it reliably."
Another commenter had been treating their yard for years, "I've been working on the knotweed on my property for 3 years and have made substantial progress. But no, it's still not gone but it is mostly!"
While it's great to get answers, the original poster likely wasn't looking for an expensive and potentially years-long war with this plant.
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