Tidying up the garden and getting rid of weeds can often be a constant chore, but gardeners need to be very careful if any unwanted plants have small white heart-shaped flowers. Japanese knotweed can look like a pretty flower, but it is actually not native to Britain, which means it can spread very quickly and overtake anything else growing in your garden. 

Japanese knotweed can be quite dangerous if it begins growing on your property or other structures. Its long roots make their way into cracks and will weaken a wall over time. If you spot Japanese knotweed, it can be tempting to just cut it or mow over it to eradicate it, but the experts at Clean North have warned that this is one of the worst things you can do. 

They explained: “The traditional physical methods of controlling invasive plants—cutting or mowing the tops off, digging plants out, tarping—don’t work. 

“In fact, ‘poking’ knotweed can spur massive lateral root growth. Then you may begin to see patches cropping up metres away from the first infestation—including in your neighbours’ yards.” 

Cutting down Japanese knotweed will simply encourage it to grow back stronger, which can be a major problem both on your property and legally. 

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, allowing Japanese knotweed to spread outside your garden is an offence, so if it reaches your neighbours' property, it could potentially result in fines.

You also need to be very careful how you dispose of Japanese knotweed. It is a controlled waste, and you cannot throw it away in a bin; otherwise, its seeds can spread around a local area. 

Even a tiny piece of Japanese knotweed blowing into a new area can cause it to quickly take over, potentially harming nearby plants and even buildings. 

If you suspect you have Japanese knotweed in your garden, the safest thing to do is contact a professional who can properly identify it and remove it. 

Trying to remove it yourself is likely to spread the seeds rather than do any actual damage, as you need to apply a glyphosate-based herbicide at the right time to get rid of it. 

Do not share any plants in your garden if you have Japanese knotweed. The most common way it spreads is when a tiny piece gets into soil that is moved to another location. 

It may sound strange to recommend not doing anything yourself, but Japanese knotweed is one of the most invasive plants in the UK, and most people make the major mistake of trying to remove it themselves when they really need a specialist to remove it permanently.