St Helens is one of the worst affected locations in Britain for Japanese knotweed according to new research by plant specialist Environet UK.
Recent data released showed the Merseyside borough was preceded only by Bolton and Bristol when it came to the worst places in Britain. The plant first arrived in the UK in 1850 in a box of plant specimens delivered to UK.
Due to its rapid growth and heart-shaped leaves, it was quickly adopted by gardeners and horticulturalists oblivious to its invasive nature.
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But the plant can pose serious problems if left unchecked with the potential to grow up through cracks in concrete, tarmac driveways, drains and cavity walls. Environet UK even said knotweed can impact a property's value by around 5%.
With almost 55,500 known occurrences Japanese knotweed is the UK's most invasive plant. St Helens is the knotweed hotspot in Merseyside with 441 infestations within a 4km radius.
Elsewhere in Merseyside Huyton has 292 cases within a 4km radius while Belle Vale has 255. Liverpool has 160 known cases and Bootle has 133.
The worst-affected locations in Great Britain, Bolton and Bristol, have 684 and 475 infestations respectively. According to Environet UK's research approximately 5% of homes are currently affected by knotweed.
Nic Seal, founder and Managing Director of Environet UK, said: “Japanese knotweed tends to strike fear into the hearts of homeowners but as long as they’re aware of its presence and take action to remove it before it causes any serious damage or spreads to a neighbour’s property, there’s no reason to panic. By publishing the 2022 hotspots for Merseyside we hope to raise awareness and encourage people in the area to be vigilant for signs of knotweed as the growing season takes off, so they can act quickly if needed.
"Anyone living near or moving to one of these hotspots would be wise to check their garden carefully, enter their postcode into Exposed to find out how many known occurrences are nearby and if in doubt, seek expert help.”
You can view Environet UK's may of Japanese knotweed hotspot locations here.
