Anybody positively identify this as Knotweed?

Hoof_Hearted

OK, I've added some close-up pictures. Follow this link:

http://www.greenwoodprimary.net/Weed.html

The plant in the picture is about 40cm high, as is the one behind my shed (Pic 1). There is a flower bud but no flower. I guess the flower would clinch it.

I know houttuynia cordata. It was a bit of a weed in the old garden and I know why Dave suggested it as it travels underground and pops up everywhere, but I don't think it's this.

Rambosmum

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

You do NOT dump it - either in the bin or anywhere else!!!!!!!!!:eek: Sliced into little pieces at midnight is about appropriate treatment for any person irresponsible enough to do that....but I'd settle for reporting anyone I knew of doing that and make darn sure they got fined and the local grapevine knew what they were like. I think that is a jokey comment in extremely bad taste - and one the odd not-very-bright person might take seriously. Thankfully, OP is obviously intelligent enough to realise its a "bad taste joke".

You are supposed to dispose of it appropriately - and I believe that is supposed to mean it burning every last little shred of it - though I'm not sure of the disposal process and you would need to check for sure.

There is someone in my area (apart from myself) that is a big expert on JK and campaigner against it and they tell me that JK can spread from even a bit smaller than my little fingernail and that irresponsible dumping is the main reason it has spread so much here.

Seriously you just have a mega bee in your bonnet about it despite not actually every having had to deal with it- you clearly believe all the hype you read on it and panic because you can see it down your road.

My comment was not a joke - it is what we did for the 3 years we had it before we knew what it was.

And contrary to what you have previously said there is no 'register' of properties that have had Japanese knotweed, companies that treat it don't have to report it to anyone and there are no fines for putting it in your garden waste bin (at least not in Greater Manchester). You just can't dump it in someone else's garden or take it to the tip.

As a homeowner who has had it 3 inches from their house I think I know what I'm talking about.

Mojisola

There's a good identification leaflet here -
http://www.nonnativespecies.org/index.cfm?sectionid=47

Eejay

Looking at your new pics, I'm almost certain it is, as someone else mentioned, this:

http://www.aphotoflora.com/mag_houttuynia_cordata_fish_plant.html

Look at the buds! The red tinge around the leaves! Where the veins are on the leaves!

http://greenscenelandscape.com/images/Plants/Houttuynia_cordata_Chameleon.jpg

ETA: The buds look like this too:

http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/white-houttuynia-cordata-flower-buds-and-high-res-stock-photography/110057296

Rambosmum

Having looked at the new pics the stems don't look right for JK - JK stems are thicker and straighter and have 'notches' in like bamboo- even fairly young ones. And the flowers are like baby's breath.

Hoof_Hearted

I, too, am beginning to think it isn't. I don't think it is vigorous enough and the stems do not seem to be very thick.

The flowers are very like those of Houttuynia Cordata (thank you Eejay). I have had the variegated variety of this in a previous garden and it was much smaller but my weed is very similar to the picture.

The ID leaflet supplied by Mojisola (thank you) shows the JK leaves to be flat and straight near the stem, whereas our weed has rounded leaves at the stem end.

You have all been a great help.

Eejay

Sorry for all my exclamation marks, I was just pleased when I saw the new pics matched the other plant - I thought I was just being an idiot when everyone else was saying JK. Makes me wonder if some of them are worrying unnecessarily about JK.

System

just a final check; see below regarding the foliage scent...

Houttuynia cordata
heart-leaved houttuynia

© © RHS 2002

Other common names
heart-leaved houttuynia
Genus
Houttuynia are rhizomatous perennials with pungently orange-scented, heart-shaped leaves and tiny yellow flowers in spikes with usually 4 prominent white bracts at the base
Family
Saururaceae
Details
H. cordata is a wide-spreading herbaceous perennial to 30cm in height, with dull blue-green leaves and dense flower spikes in late spring
Plant range
E Himalaya to Japan

BristolBob

Bit off-topic but why are you using the primary school's website to upload the photos? Seems odd!

cajef

Rambosmum wrote: »

Seriously you just have a mega bee in your bonnet about it despite not actually every having had to deal with it- you clearly believe all the hype you read on it and panic because you can see it down your road.

Couldn't agree more, but then they like to make out that they are an expert on everything, JK is everywhere in Cornwall and we have also had to deal with it at the end of our large garden, repeated treatment with glyphosate will eventually get rid of it though it can take several years to eradicate it completely, spreading unfounded rumours and panic mongering does nothing to help anyone.