Figured it out! That stupid crazy shrub taking over my garden and backyard is a notorious invasive weed named Japanese Knotweed. I'm at school right now, and while my six awesome GAIA kids are working on their newest bulletin board, I decided to do some research online and browse images of invasive shrubs and weeds. So excited to have found it, and it turns out it is a BIG problem all over the country...
There are all sorts of web resources-- and even companies -- committed to the removal of, control of, eradication of this annoying plant. Oh crap, I knew it was a problem. Blogs, E-How's, Forums,Websites, YouTube videos .. the list goes on. Apparently the plant has rhizomes deep under the soil and it spreads underground, sending new shoots up year after year. As an ornamental shrub, it has no natural predators on this continent and is a problem from coast to coast -- even Alaska. It chokes out all native plants...It is banned in several states and disposal is regulated by law in some places to prevent contamination. Burning it does not kill it, one source claims. You need to dig it up and pull out the rhizomes...some sites recommend with a backhoe...It can come through concrete, as I have seen in my backyard... Ugh, can I say.. WTF?
Good news.. its edible. It is extremely high in vitamin C and tastes somewhat like rhubarb, I've read. In some Asian traditional therapies, the tea is used as a mild laxative and there are claims that it has other medicinal properties including being antiarthritic, antirheumatic, analgesic, detoxicant, antitussive, expectorant, antibacterial, antiviral, and it contains the potent antioxidant Resveratrol. Apparently only red wine contains more Resveratrol, which is known for its anti-aging properties. Ok. So maybe I drink some tea with the stuff ... and substitute it for rhubarb in rhubarb pie (which I have never made..) to get some anti-aging goodness into my body rather than throw it into the old compost. But I don't see it replacing my beloved red wine any time soon. ;)
~MP~
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| Image Taken from: http://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/japanese-knotweed |
Good news.. its edible. It is extremely high in vitamin C and tastes somewhat like rhubarb, I've read. In some Asian traditional therapies, the tea is used as a mild laxative and there are claims that it has other medicinal properties including being antiarthritic, antirheumatic, analgesic, detoxicant, antitussive, expectorant, antibacterial, antiviral, and it contains the potent antioxidant Resveratrol. Apparently only red wine contains more Resveratrol, which is known for its anti-aging properties. Ok. So maybe I drink some tea with the stuff ... and substitute it for rhubarb in rhubarb pie (which I have never made..) to get some anti-aging goodness into my body rather than throw it into the old compost. But I don't see it replacing my beloved red wine any time soon. ;)
~MP~
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