Japanese Knotweed is illegal
Did anyone else know this? This stuff is a lethal menace, so says the Japanese Knotweed Alliance . Wales is in particular danger, observe.
Think you can sit back and do nothing? WRONG
Why can’t we just leave things as they are?
Doing nothing is not an option when it comes to Japanese knotweed as it will continue to spread unchecked across the country. Even in places where there is a concerted effort to control the weed it is still spreading. The balance of nature has been upset by mankind short-circuiting the normal progression of things. By introducing this plant to a new area without any of the checks and balances that it had to deal with in its native range, knotweed will continue to benefit from an unfair advantage.
I love the names for these deadly plants; Rubbervine Weed, Leafy Spurge, Alligator Weed, Purple Loosetrife.
Now, if you want some real pants shitting, mother nature terror head over to Neils site and check out these babies.
December 24th, 2006 at 5:44 pm
Funny–I was sleeping in a meadow there the other day; big leafy meadow covered in what I thought was good old Irish greenblade. You know how it goes; you’re out walking, tending to the geese and tickling the pigs and that, you have a sit down beneath a tree, and the sleep just sort of takes you.
When I woke, my wrists and ankles were bound by these weird vines that had just sort of sprung out of nowhere. Worst part was, the vines had hypodermic tendrils, and they were–as it quickly became apparent to me–drinking my blood! Nasty. Took me ages to get free, and all. A passing thief had time to steal my wallet, silver buckles and gold teeth.
Japanese knotweed may be the greatest threat to our way of life since karate.
December 24th, 2006 at 10:30 pm
I especially like the way the law is worded “it is an offence to cause this plant to grow”. Cause it to grow. Like, you have some special power that actually makes the cells of the plant respire and divide and…grow. I can imagine some cloaked ne’er-do-well huddled in the corner of a field somewhere, waving his hands above a patch of disturbed earth, whispering some secret incantation. Grow, my beautiful weed, grow! Then he giggles and hops the fence, running off into the dark.
December 24th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
Upon investigation, ‘to cause to grow’ is the correct horticultural usage of the term. The People of the Garden have strange ways about them.
December 26th, 2006 at 4:26 pm
Rubbervine Weed and Leafy Spurge sound like porn stars.
December 30th, 2006 at 12:18 am
Heh, spurge.