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2. Japanese Knotweed

Episode 2 of 5

Derek Mooney looks at the despised plant Japanese knotweed, but does it deserve its enemy number one status? From 2016.

Japanese knotweed evolved to grow on the slopes of Japanese volcanoes.

Its harsh home makes it a thug of a plant outside its natural range with a seemingly magical ability grow in the most unlikely places.

In the more than 100 years since a few female specimens were brought to UK shores as an ornamental garden plant it has spread across the country and is now probably the most hated plant in the UK.

But is it really the Great Invader we believe it to be? Derek Mooney intends to find out.

Telling the stories of non-native invasive species and our complicated attitudes to them and with an uncertain political future, how do we police our ecological borders?

Producer: Ellie Sans

First broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 in August 2016.

Available now

15 minutes

Last on

Tue 16 Jul 2024 09:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 30 Aug 2016 13:45
  • Tue 10 Apr 2018 09:30
  • Tue 10 Mar 2020 14:15
  • Wed 11 Mar 2020 02:15
  • Tue 16 Jul 2024 09:30