Weed warning Bristol is hotspot for invasive plant
BRISTOL is a hotspot for invasive Japanese knotweed, it has been revealed. Newly released data reveals the troublesome weed is affecting almost 100,000 homes in the South West.
And it has been revealed the invasive weed is costing residents across the region £2.6million by reducing the value of their homes.
Environet UK, which specialises in the removal of invasive plants, says it has had a particularly high number of removal jobs in Clifton, Redland and at properties along the A4 Bath Road in recent years.
Introduced to Britain in the 1840s as an ornamental plant, the weed now grows rampantly along railways, waterways and in parks and gardens, and is notoriously difficult to treat.
It is said the weed can reduce the value of a home by 10 per cent on average if it’s not rooted out.
Environet estimates as many as five per cent of homes in the region are affected by knotweed, either directly or indirectly via neighbouring properties.
House values could fall by up to £26,000 if affected by the plant.
Mortgage lenders will typically refuse loans against affected properties unless there is a professional knotweed management plan in place with an insurance-backed guarantee.
Sellers are required by law to inform potential purchasers whether the home they’re selling is, or has been, affected by Japanese knotweed, which can act as a deterrent even if the infestation has been treated.
Emily Grant, Environet UK’s regional director for the South West, said: “With almost 100,000 homes potentially blighted by Japanese knotweed, sellers could find their property is worth less than they think.
“With knotweed beginning to die back this month, homeowners may be lulled into a false sense of security, but if left untreated the plant will re-emerge stronger next spring.”
How to identify Japanese knotweed
» In April/May, red or purple asparagus-like shoots appear from the ground and grow rapidly, forming hard canes
» As the canes grow, heart-shaped leaves gradually unfurl and turn green
» The plant grows at the incredible rate of around 10cm a day from May until July, when it is fully grown and can stand up to three metres tall
» Knotweed blooms in late summer when it becomes covered in tiny creamy-white flowers
» During the late autumn the leaves fall and the canes turn brown and die, although they remain standing
How to treat invasive nonnative plants
According to Gov.UK you can get rid of invasive non-native plants by the following methods in England. Spraying plants with chemicals Burying plants
Burning plants Disposing of plants off site