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What can you do?

Call us! We want to know if you have knotweed
growing on your property. If it’s growing near a river
or creek, please call the Snohomish County Noxious
Weed Control Board at (360) 862-7523.
Avoid spreading knotweed. Be careful while working
around it, particularly if you are mowing or doing yard
work. Small fragments can get into dirt piles and take
root or get transported to other areas. When using fill
dirt, check the pile to see if there is knotweed nearby Snohomish Conservation District STOP the
or ask your supplier. Never dispose of cuttings in
compost or near wetlands, streams, rivers or other
wet areas.
SPREAD of
If you have knotweed on your property, remove it or
JAPANESE KNOTWEED
contact us. By law, weed control on your property is
your responsibility. Knotweed is very difficult to an aggressive and
remove by hand and may require repeated cutting or
intensive digging. Do not use herbicides near water.
noxious weed
It is best to have a professional treat your knotweed
with approved herbicides. The Stillaguamish
Knotweed Working Group may be able to help you
remove it at no cost to you.
Volunteer your time! Help educate others about Stillaguamish Tribe Without prompt and
knotweed, or offer to help those controlling knotweed
in your area. vigorous action,
knotweed will take
Information resources:
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/LANDS/Weeds/Japan.htm
over entire riverbanks,
USDA Forest Service
http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/polycusp.html
http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest displace native habitat

Snohomish County Noxious Weed Control Board

and destroy the scenic
(360) 862-7523
and recreational quality
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
(360) 435-2755 x 27
of our Northwest rivers.
Stilly-Snohomish Task Force
(425) 252-6866
Snohomish Conservation District
(425) 335-5634 Ext. 109
Help save the Stillaguamish River
printed on recycled paper photos by Michael Wilhelm
Knotweed is an aggressive and
noxious weed that spreads quickly,
shades out other native plants and
destroys habitat.
In recent years, hundreds of patches of knotweed have
appeared in the Stillaguamish River Valley. If unchecked,
knotweed will steadily take over riverbanks and beaches,
as it has in the Eastern United States and Europe. When
knotweed takes over a riverbank, native plants—from
cottonwood to salmonberry—are choked out and
displaced. The result is a dramatic and often irreversible
loss of habitat for fish and wildlife.
Japanese knotweed is designated a
noxious weed in Washington state.
What is knotweed?
There are several closely related invasive knotweed
species: Japanese knotweed1, giant knotweed2,
bohemian knotweed3 (hybrid of giant x Japanese),
and Himalayan knotweed4 are the most common.
They are native to Asia and were brought here as
ornamentals for gardens. Other common names include
Mexican or Japanese bamboo.
1Polygonum cupidatum (aka–Fallopia japonica),
2 P. sachinlinense (aka–Reynoutria),
3 P.X bohemicum,
4 P. polystachum.
Water corridors are
the easiest and
fastest way for
knotweed to spread.
If you have knotweed growing
near a river or creek, please call the
Snohomish County Noxious Weed
Control Board at (360) 862-7523. We
may be able to help you. We can also
recommend native plant replacements.
Why is it a problem?
Knotweed is a particularly aggressive plant because of
the ease with which it spreads and the massive and deep
root clusters it forms, some as deep as nine feet. In the
Northwest, knotweed usually spreads when roots and
stems are moved by waterways, by floods or in
contaminated soil. Root and stem fragments as small
as 1 inch can produce a new plant. As a result, even one
patch can produce dozens of new populations. It poses
a significant threat to riparian areas, where it can survive
severe floods and is able to rapidly colonize scoured
shores and islands. Once established, populations are
extremely persistent. The thickets can completely clog
small waterways and salmon streams and displace all
other streamside vegetation.
What does it look like?
Knotweed grows in dense stands up to 12
feet tall. The thick, hollow stems are green
to reddish and resemble bamboo. The
large, bright-green leaf can either be egg-
or heart-shaped, with a pointed tip.
Although leaf size may vary, they are
normally about 6 inches long by 3 to 4
inches wide. Minute, greenish-white flowers
occur in branched sprays in summer and are
followed soon after by small, winged fruits.
When small, knotweed can be confused with
cottonwood saplings. Knotweed, however, has smooth
leaf edges, unlike the toothed leaf of cottonwoods.
How can knotweed be controlled?
There are risks associated with controlling knotweed.
Even small fragments of cut stems and rhizomes may
root and spread plants if not disposed of properly.
Native plants, fish and other aquatic life may be damaged
if chemicals for spraying knotweed are used improperly.
To better understand these risks, contact the county
noxious weed board for assistance.
Herbicide: The herbicide glyphosate has been shown to
effectively control knotweed over several years. To avoid
the difficulties of spraying large plants, cut stems down
once in May or June, and allow the plants to regrow to
about waist height. Apply the herbicide as directed on the
label to the leaves in late summer
Where does it grow?
Knotweed thrives in any moist soil or river cobble, in
full or partial sunlight. Most common in the flood
zone along rivers and creeks, it also grows in roadside
ditches, other moist areas and beaches.
What is being done about knotweed?
The Snohomish County Noxious Weed Control
Board, Surface Water Management and Parks
Department, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, Stilly-
Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force,
Snohomish Conservation District, Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife and
Department of Natural Resources,
and U.S. Forest Service have
formed the Stillaguamish
Knotweed Working Group
and are joining concerned
citizens to control knotweed
in the Stillaquamish river
watershed. Similar efforts
are occurring in other
regional watersheds.
Close-up of flowering
Japanese knotweed: note
the pointed tip, smooth edge
i lh
elm
l W
Mic hae and the white spikes of the flower.
Bright-green leaves alternate along the stem
and are egg-or heart-shaped.
or fall, before they begin to turn yellow. Repeat this
process yearly until the plants no longer sprout.
If the knotweed is near water, you should contact a
professional. Misuse of herbicides is prohibited by law.
Always read and follow the label directions
carefully.
Cutting: Repeatedly cutting the stems may prevent
spreading of infestations, but it is extremely difficult to
kill the plant completely using this method. Cut the
stems at least every four weeks during the growing
season to deplete reserves stored in their roots. Make
sure you dry the stems completely before disposing of
them. They should never be left in or near waterways
or composted.