How Japanese knotweed can complicate farm sales

摘要

Japanese knotweed is a destructive plant with the potential to devalue farmland and delay sales, sometimes costing vendors dearly. Debbie James reports. Horticulture was responsible for Japanese knotweed's arrival to the UK via imports of seed and live material in the 19th century.The farming industry has since been paying the price with the loss of grazing and damage to buildings wrought by this invasive non-na-tive species; it has prevented development on farmland too through strict planning laws relating to its presence on land.Other key invasive non-native species in the UK include giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, New Zealand pygmyweed, floating pennywort and rhododendron.