Homeowner met with growing fear after spotting aggressive plant erupting from neighbor's yard: 'A yearslong battle'

A concerned neighbor noticed pesky invasive plants sprouting on the border of their property and took to r/NativePlantGardening for help.

"Japanese knotweed … is extremely invasive," the poster said. "I noticed this patch sprouted almost overnight."

They knew they needed to act swiftly. However, they were unsure if they could legally remove plants from someone else's property. Everyone's advice was slightly different, but they all agreed on one thing — that plant needed to go, ASAP. 

"Oh no. Japanese knotweed is one of the worst invasives I've had to deal with," one user commented.

Like many other invasive plants, Japanese knotweed grows and spreads rapidly, depriving native plants of resources. According to the Canadian Invasive Species Centre, it reduces sunlight for other plants by up to 90%. 

It can also grow through concrete, destroying building foundations. In the U.K., construction workers must get rid of soil that contains any knotweed because of how damaging it can be in the long run.

"Bless you, this will be a yearslong battle," one commenter said. They recommended reporting it to their county's Department of Natural Resources.

Whether or not the OP decided to do this is up in the air. If you're dealing with a similar issue, though, reporting it is a solid bet. Invasive plants don't care about property lines. If they're growing in your neighbor's yard, they'll inevitably spread to yours. Ultimately, you want to get this plant out of your neighborhood. 

If you want to combat invasive species and support biodiversity while you're at it, rewilding your yard is one of the best methods. Try planting a few native species and let them grow naturally. You'll get back all that precious time and money spent mowing, watering, and treating your lawn.

Hopefully, the OP managed to help their neighbor uproot the knotweed. 

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely 💯 It depends on the species 🤔 I don't know 🤷 No — leave nature alone 🙅 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"This is a dreaded plant in the U.S. and Europe," one commenter noted. "One of the worst, unfortunately."

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