Japanese knotweed, explained.
Clear, practical guides to identifying Japanese knotweed and knowing what to do next - from the team behind the KnotweediD app.
What does Japanese knotweed look like?
Leaf, stem, flower and root - what knotweed looks like at every size and in every season, from first shoots to winter canes.
SeasonalJapanese knotweed in winter
Dead-looking brown canes hide a living rhizome. How to spot dormant knotweed - and why winter viewings catch buyers out.
IdentificationHow to identify Japanese knotweed
The five tell-tale features - leaves, stems, growth habit and flowers - and how they change through the seasons.
Look-alikes5 plants mistaken for Japanese knotweed
Bindweed, dogwood, lilac, Himalayan honeysuckle and bamboo - how to tell each one apart from the real thing.
Look-alikesJapanese knotweed vs bindweed
The most common false alarm - how to tell knotweed and bindweed apart by their leaves, stems, flowers and growth.
Health & safetyIs Japanese knotweed poisonous?
No - it's not toxic to people, dogs or livestock, and it's safe to touch. The truth about knotweed and your health.
TreatmentHow to get rid of Japanese knotweed
Herbicide, excavation or a combined approach - the methods that actually work, and the mistakes that spread it.
TreatmentDoes knotweed come back after treatment?
Why it can regrow from the rhizome, how excavation differs, and what an insurance-backed guarantee covers.
CostsHow much does knotweed removal cost?
Typical UK prices for treating and removing Japanese knotweed, and what makes the figure go up or down.
PropertyKnotweed, mortgages & house sales
Can you buy or sell with knotweed? How lenders assess it, what you must declare, and how to keep a sale on track.
PropertyDeclaring knotweed when selling: the TA6 form
What Yes, No and Not known really commit you to, why a wrong answer can cost you after completion, and how to sell well.
Your rightsMy neighbour has Japanese knotweed
What to do - and your legal rights - when a neighbour's knotweed is spreading onto your land.
Your rightsTelling a neighbour: a template letter
A polite, effective copy-and-paste letter for raising knotweed over the fence - and the escalation route if nothing happens.
ReferenceThe knotweed glossary
Rhizome, crown, IBG, TA6, diminution - every term in surveys, quotes and conveyancing, in plain English.
BiologyHow fast does Japanese knotweed grow?
Up to 10cm a day, 2-3m tall by summer - and roots that spread metres underground. Why it's so persistent.
About knotweedHow deep do knotweed roots go?
How far the rhizome really spreads, the relaxed 7-metre rule, and whether knotweed damages foundations.
The lawJapanese knotweed and the law (UK)
Is it illegal? Your obligations around spreading it, disposing of it, neighbours and selling a home.
SeasonalWhen does Japanese knotweed flower?
Creamy-white sprays in late summer - plus a month-by-month guide to how knotweed looks through the year.
For professionalsiD Pro for professionals
Why estate agents, surveyors and property investors use iD Pro for fast, accredited knotweed confirmation from photos.