Japanese Knotweed

Today’s picture is of some Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) also known as Donkey Rhubarb, which I mentioned yesterday. I thought this was something which needed to be reported; clearly not.

I emailed DEFRA this morning as instructed by Uttlesford District Council to inform them that there was some Japanese Knotweed growing in the lane. It seems they are not interested either; their reply to my email had some attachments to it, containing many pages, but in their email they said:-

There is no current legislation that would legally oblige a land owner to remove Japanese Knotweed even when it is spreading from their land. Unfortunately, the law states it is just illegal to ‘cause to grow’ or ‘plant’ Japanese knotweed.

Part of one of the documents states:-

It is an offence under section 14(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 to "plant or otherwise cause to grow in the wild" any plant listed in Schedule 9, Part II to the Act. This includes Japanese Knotweed.

There is no need to report its presence on your land (unless doing so forms part of a legally binding contract or agreement with another party). Japanese knotweed is not amongst the five species listed in the Weeds Act 1959. Those species are Common Ragwort, Spear Thistle, Creeping or Field Thistle, Broad leaved Dock and Curled Dock.

So now you know!

I have forwarded DEFRA's email to our local council for their information. This plant, which is not native to the United Kingdom, was brought here in the mid-nineteenth century, unfortunately they did not bring the pests and diseases, which control it, with them.

This plant is growing on my ‘One Street’ so I decided to combine the two so that there is a record when the lane and my garden are covered in Donkey Rhubarb!


Some of my other 'One Street' pictures