Woman urges public to eat from plant spreading quickly around globe: 'It's delicious'

Invasive plants can be very damaging if left to spread unchecked. But sometimes, you can find a creative and tasty solution for dealing with them. 

TikTok user Danni (@danniinthewild) posted a video demonstrating that the invasive plant Japanese knotweed is edible and easy to forage and eat. 

@danniinthewild You can eat the planets MOST INVASIVE weed! 🌿🌍 #wildfood #foraging #japaneseknotweed #invasiveplants #forage ♬ original sound - danni

"This is one of the planet's most invasive weeds. Luckily, it's delicious," she said in the video. 

She explained that it can grow so quickly that it can reach a rate of 10 centimeters per day in the spring. It also spreads so aggressively that it's illegal in some states. However, it can be picked and eaten for those daring enough to try it.

"The purple speckled shoots look similar to asparagus. Look for chubby stems about six to eight inches tall, as these will still be young and tender. They can be cooked and used just as you would rhubarb, by making jams and pies, crumbles, compotes, syrups, and cordials," Danni said. 

In her video, she advised that it's "not just tasty, it's also insanely rich" in resveratrol, a natural antioxidant that's found in berries, peanuts, dark chocolate, and grape skin. It can even remove heavy metals and toxins from soil. 

"So whilst Japanese knotweed does have a bad rep, it also boasts lots of nutritional, medicinal, and even ecological benefits too," she said. 

It's important to know how to identify and properly deal with invasive plants in case you spot them on your property. They can threaten your local ecosystem and out-compete natives for resources. Controlling them can help restore ecological balance and biodiversity.

Some commenters disagreed with Danni's advice to ingest the wild invasive plant in case the area has been treated with chemical-based weed killers. Others shared personal stories of snacking on the plant occasionally.

"Be really careful with any scraps of this stuff as it can grow so easily just from fragments. And it's illegal to cause it to spread," one commenter said. 

Would you take a gardening class if it were free? Heck yes! 💯 If it fits into my schedule 🗓️ Maybe 🤔 Probably not 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"When we was kids we used to drink the water [that's] inside lol, it's everywhere in Wales," a user commented.

"This is so cool to know! Rampant where I live," another user said.

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