JAPANESE knotweed hotspots have been revealed in Berkshire after some areas saw rapid growth over the last five years.

New research by Horticulture Magazine has found that Berkshire is among the regions in the UK with growth in live cases over the past half a decade.

Japanese Knotweed has since spread like wildfire across the UK, with more than 29,500 confirmed cases growing in number each year.

South Yorkshire, Hampshire and West Sussex are among the regions with the largest growth in live cases over the last 5 years.

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Luckily, Berkshire doesn't top this list but the map online here shows which areas are currently affected by Japanese Knotweed.

Based on our analysis of NBN Atlas data, there are a further 19,702 unconfirmed cases of Japanese knotweed, with thousands more in the UK likely to remain unreported.

What is Japanese Knotweed?

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Japanese knotweed affects ecosystems by crowding out native vegetation and limiting plant and animal species diversity.

A YouGov survey by Horticulture found four in five people would walk away from buying a property affected by knotweed.

Almost two-thirds of buyers would expect at least a 5 – 10 per cent discount on the expected sale price, the survey revealed.

The plant has distinctive red and green shoots are likely to emerge from the ground in Spring. The leaves are smooth and green in colour, with a ‘spade’ or ‘love heart’ shape that is quite recognisable.

During late summer the plant will usually bloom with long clusters of cream-coloured flowers.

Horicultre reads: "There are areas of the UK where knotweed is known to be more prevalent due to its introduction on railway lines and through industrial activity.

"Analysis of the 29,536 confirmed cases in the UK show the regions with the largest growth in live cases over the last 5 years.

"Based on our analysis of NBN Atlas data, there are a further 19,702 unconfirmed cases of Japanese knotweed, with thousands more in the UK likely to remain unreported.

"There has been a sizeable drop in UK record-taking for Japanese Knotweed over the last 18 months, likely caused by the impacts of Covid-19.

"Records provide the opportunity for evidence-based decision making on invasive plant and wildlife species in the UK.

"Record taking is vitally important to the eco-system as it helps with conservation as well as the planning and management of invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed."