Last month, the Daily Mail reported that a homeowner in Buckinghamshire had found Bohemian knotweed (Fallopia x bohemica) growing in his garden. Stuart Marshall from Aylesbury ended up calling in an invasive weed specialist to remove this troublesome plant from his property.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Now, we've talked about this plant before on the Taylor Total Weed Control blog - you can read our guide to Bohemian knotweed here (highly recommended for the Queen references alone).
Just to recap:
- Bohemian knotweed is a hybrid species that occurs when Japanese knotweed cross-fertilises with giant knotweed.
- Like Japanese knotweed, Bohemian knotweed is an invasive species that can spread very rapidly and reduce the value of affected properties.
- It's safe to assume that Bohemian knotweed is subject to the same laws as Japanese knotweed.
Should UK homeowners expect to see more Bohemian knotweed in the near future?
The Bohemian knotweed in Mr Marshall's garden made the news because this hybrid species is currently quite rare. According to the aforementioned Mail article, just 2% of UK knotweed cases involve Bohemian knotweed at the moment.
But it seems probable that Bohemian knotweed will become an increasingly common problem as time passes. Japanese knotweed is known to grow very rapidly - especially during the summer months - and Bohemian knotweed is no slouch in that department either. If the hybrid species is not kept under careful control, it could very well spread far and wide, affecting properties throughout the UK.
If you think you have Japanese knotweed, Bohemian knotweed or another invasive weed in your garden, call Taylor Total Weed Control on 029 2039 7554 today. Our weed control experts will diagnose the problem and recommend a suitable treatment programme.
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