\n Japanese Knotweed is a highly invasive plant species (Image: Getty Images)\n<\/p>\n
\n Environet Director Emily Grant\u00a0said: \u201cBy mapping verified sightings, we\u2019re helping people understand the level of risk in their local area and encouraging early identification and treatment.”\n<\/p>\n
\n She continued:\u00a0\u201cPublic engagement is key in the fight against knotweed, and by reporting new sightings homeowners can play an important role in controlling this invasive plant and protecting property values.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Where are Dorset’s Japanese Knotweed hotspots for 2025?<\/p>\n
\n According to Enivronet, the worst spot for Japanese Knotweed in Dorset is around Lyme Regis, with there being 149 sightings within five miles of the DT6 6BW postcode.\n<\/p>\n
\n Lyme Regis has a high concentration of Japanese Knotweed sightings (Image: Environet)\n<\/p>\n
\n There are also large clusters around Dorchester (92 sightings within five miles), Weymouth (56 sightings), Wareham (42 sightings) and Swanage (33 sightings).\n<\/p>\n
\n Alongside that, there is also a significant chunk close to Wimborne Minster with 60 sightings.\n<\/p>\n
\n Within the BCP area, there have been quite a few cases of Japanese Knotweed, with 77 sightings reported within five miles of the BH12 2HB postcode.\n<\/p>\n
\n Meanwhile, 62 sightings have been reported within five miles of the BH6 3LU postcode, taking in eastern Bournemouth and Christchurch.\n<\/p>\n
\n The BCP area has a fair few cases of Japanese Knotweed (Image: Environet)\n<\/p>\n
\n Highcliffe also has a fair few with 52 sightings reported within a five miles radius of the area.\n<\/p>\n
How to spot Japanese Knotweed<\/p>\n
\n Japanese Knotweed\u00a0hibernates over winter, but in March or April, it begins to grow, with red or purple spear-like shoots emerging from the ground, which quickly grow into lush green shrubs with pink-flecked stems and bamboo-like canes.\n<\/p>\n
\n The roots can grow as deep as three metres and spread up to seven metres horizontally.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n Recommended reading:\n<\/p>\n
What to do if you have Japanese Knotweed<\/p>\n
\n The first step to tackling the plant is to commission a professional Japanese Knotweed survey and find out the extent of the infestation. They will be able to tell you where it originated\u00a0and the best way to tackle it.\n<\/p>\n
\n Professional treatment should then be organised, which usually involves the use of herbicides for the excavation of the infestation.\n<\/p>\n
\n If you\u2019re buying a property and you want to be sure it\u2019s clear of knotweed, particularly if it\u2019s located in or near a hotspot, arrange a detection survey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The invasive plant species\u00a0is responsible for damaging homes, pavements and drains and can spread up to seven metres…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9099,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[1397,90,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-9098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-science","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9098","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9098"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9098\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9098"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9098"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9098"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}