Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), is listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the world’s most invasive species. The perennial plant is native to east Asia, but has successfully infiltrated much of the world already. The plant resembles bamboo with it’s distinct nodes and hollow stem, but is not related.
An invasive killer – japanese knotweed in vermont
This aggressive plant has begun to dominate much of Vermont. Look at just about any roadside river, and you will be sure to find thickets of Japanese Knotweed crowding the banks. The plant grows in such dense patches that it chokes out all of the native vegetation.
The plant has an incredibly strong root system whose rhizomes can extend over 20 feet horizontally and 10 feet deep. The roots are strong enough to crack pavement and durable to survive up to – 31 F. Japanese Knotweed can survive in huge range of soil types and pH levels, making it incredibly resilient. Furthermore, the plant is resistant to cutting and will rapidly sprout anew if just a tiny piece of stem is left behind.
At least you can eat it – foraging for japanese knotweed
Yes, at least you can eat this incredibly invasive plant. Japanese knotweed has a ton of common names, but by far my favorite is donkey rhubarb. Just has a nice a ring to it if you ask me. But also, this plant tastes a lot like rhubarb, and is incredibly sour.
It is good for you and is a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C as well as
providing potassium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese. However, the most intriguing aspect of Japanese knotweed is that it is an excellent source of resveratrol. Resveratol is the same chemical found in the skins of grapes that has received a lot of attention for its ability to lower cholesterol and is also a strong antioxidant.
Foraging and eating japanese knotweed in vermont
You will want to forage for this Japanese Knotweed just as the first spring shoots begin to pop up through the ground. They can’t be much bigger than about 6 inches or they will become too tough to eat. So just grab and twist or cut at the base when these spring shoots are between 4 and 6 inches.
In Stowe, Vermont Japanese Knotweed is usually ready to harvest at the end of April or the beginning of May, and by mid May it will be too late. It is one of the first edible wild foods to come out in VT, so at least it has that going for it.
You can use knotweed in all the same ways you might use rhubarb. So it is great in a strawberry rhubarb pie or as a jam or jelly. It can be eaten raw or cooked, and so can be eaten in a salad or by itself dipped in sugar as a treat.
Also, since it resembles asparagus so much, and it does have a bit of green, earthy flavor mixed in with the sourness, you can eat it as you would asparagus. Grill it or quickly fry it in butter, then hit with a dash of soy sauce and it is actually pretty good!
