This Invasive Plant Boosts Immunity Against Bacteria, Viruses, Lyme Disease & More
A lot of farmers and land managers are probably mad at me for writing this.
One of the most invasive plants in North America also happens to be extraordinarily medicinal.
Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) is an aggressive and fierce perennial plant native to Japan, Korea, and China. First brought over as an ornamental in the 1800s, it has now taken the United States by storm and can be found most notably covering stream banks and roadsides of the eastern US.
Japanese knotweed displaces native vegetation and is often the target of all manner of toxic chemical applications in an attempt to kill it back (so, as with all wildcrafting, only harvest knotweed from places you are certain have not been sprayed).
But it could also be one of the most important plant allies of modern times.
Japanese Knotweed is Resilient AF
Nothing can really stop it.
Ironically enough, most attempts to control knotweed actually encourage it to spread more. Trying to cut it is of no use because the meristematic tissues in the plant allow each fallen piece of stem to re-root and grow new plants. Spraying it with herbicides only perpetuates the development…
