Weston Knotweed Japanese knotweed identification, treatment and removal in Runcorn [phone] Free photo ID check

How to identify Japanese knotweed

What it looks like through the year, and the plants most often mistaken for it in Runcorn gardens.

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Red Japanese knotweed shoots in spring — Spring: red shoots

Japanese knotweed in summer leaf — Summer: full leaf

Surveyor checking a knotweed stand — Not sure? Send a photo

Spring

Red-purple shoots with tightly rolled leaves push up from April and can grow several centimetres in a day.

Summer

Dense growth to two or three metres, with hollow purple-flecked stems that kink at each node and broad leaves with a flat base.

Autumn

Creamy flower sprays open in late summer, then the leaves turn yellow and fall.

Winter

The canes stay standing, brown, hollow and brittle, while the rhizome underground stays alive.

Often mistaken for

Bindweed twines around other plants. Dogwood has woody stems and curved leaf veins. Himalayan balsam has pink flowers and likes damp ground. Send a photo and we will say.

The short answers

In brief

What does Japanese knotweed look like?

Hollow, bamboo-like stems with purple or red speckles, growing in a zig-zag from node to node. Leaves are shield or heart-shaped with a flat base, up to about 14cm long. Plants reach 2 to 3 metres in summer.

What does knotweed look like in spring?

Red or purple asparagus-like shoots with rolled-back leaves appear from April. They can grow several centimetres a day.

What does knotweed look like in winter?

The leaves drop and the canes die back to brown, hollow, brittle stems that often stay standing through winter. The rhizome underground is still alive.

What is commonly mistaken for Japanese knotweed?

Bindweed, Russian vine, dogwood, lilac, houttuynia and Himalayan balsam are frequent look-alikes. Bindweed twines around other plants; knotweed stands on its own stems.

Found it?

What happens next

Knotweed surveyA visit to confirm the plant, measure it and write it up.Free knotweed ID from a photoSend us a picture and we tell you what it is, free of charge.Knotweed plan for mortgages and salesThe management plan lenders and buyers ask for.Knotweed from a neighbourA dated record of where it stands and how it is moving.Knotweed spraying programmeHerbicide treatment across several seasons with return visits.Knotweed excavationTaking out the stand and the rhizome quickly.Knotweed root barrierUpright membrane to stop rhizome crossing a boundary.Knotweed on building plotsSurveys and removal for Runcorn development sites.Knotweed for landlordsSurveys and treatment for rented houses and flats.

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