This month, the Conservation Commission will be planning their project to control Japanese Knotweed. We would appreciate as much help as possible to eradicate this invasive plant along our town roads. We will work in small groups or as individuals. The Scouts in town have also signed on to help. We will be cutting and not using herbicides. Volunteers will wear gloves, use loppers and clippers, and bag the cuttings into industrial plastic bags which will go to incinerators. The process of eradicating knotweed from the roadsides will occur in May or early June, mid-July, and before the end of August. It will continue for three years, becoming easier each year. Volunteers can volunteer once, or many times. Anyone interested in helping should contact Marcia Kilpatrick at 860-455-1226 or email kalmia1234@gmail.com, or Pat Cascio at 860-933-4561 or email jurneez@gmail.com. If you know of a specific location in need of attention, please let us know.

The following information is meant to assist residents in recognizing knotweed and to inform every one of the risks knotweed places on the environment, threatening native vegetation and consequently, wildlife.

Status: Increasing and invasive in Connecticut, primarily at disturbed sites.

Description: Japanese knotweed is a fast-growing herbaceous perennial that grows in large clumps three to six feet in height. It has hollow stems similar to bamboo, with swollen joints along the stem. Leaves are broadly egg-shaped, with pointed tips and square-ish bases. The flowers are greenish white and profuse, growing in slender fingerlike clusters where the leaves meet the branches.

Preferred habitat: The plant occurs in a wide variety of habitats, in many soil types, and a range of moisture conditions. It appears to be found primarily in disturbed open areas with plenty of sun; shade depresses its growth. Edges of roadways and stream banks are common locations at which to find Japanese knotweed.

Seasonal cycle: In Connecticut, leaves appear on Japanese knotweed in April. Flowers, which develop in August and September, are pollinated by bees and other insects. The seeds mature about two weeks after the plant flowers and are dispersed by wind. Once established, the species reproduces primarily through its extensive rhizomes, which may reach 45-60 feet in length.

Important points: The early emergence of Japanese knotweed leaves in the spring and its stand-forming habit produce a dense canopy beneath which few other plant species can survive. In addition, the persistent accumulation of stem litter within established stands also reduces species diversity and damages wildlife habitat.

The Conservation Commission