Is This Japanese Knotweed

Hi

I would like some help identifying this cheeky plant that has decided to grow in my garden. My fear is that it is japanese knotweed but it doesnt seem to be growing in a fashion that I would expect from what I have read. It has grown in many places along a flowerbed along a stretch of about 5 meters, it has however just come up in random places rather than having an apparent mother plant it has lots of individual 40-50cm stems. There are no big strong shoots. I took the pictured shoots out of the ground today (end of june) and these were the biggest plants around. I would expect a big mess of a plant now by june if it was jkn?

any help would be awesome! h

 

Welcome to the forums!
Definitely not Japanese knot weed.
Please can you find a nice whole flower and add a pic.

 

I could only find one stem that had a flower on it which is picture 1, it had 5 white petals and a pale yellow cone like centre. Sorry about the low res pictures

 

Hmm! Still thinking
Where do you live tomkinson8036?

 

Just had a thought.
This only has 4 white bracts (not 5) the leaves are heart shaped...height is right, it also fits the invasive weed you describe.
Check it out.
Houttuynia cordata.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/8842/Houttuynia-cordata/Details

 

Hi, I am in Congleton Cheshire, the plant you linked does appear to be the plant I have.

Thanks for all your help!

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Tomkinson,
this plant is also creeping into my border from my next door neighbour . I absolutely LOATHE the smell of it with a passion,
Jenny namaste

 

I bought Houttuynia cordata "Chameleon" last year (without realising it was invasive). Read up about it when I got home and haven't planted it yet ... should I bin it then??

 

In our light dry soil it's not too invasive which ties in with the statement on the RHS website that they are particularly invasive in wet soil. MrH occasionally pulls out bits that stray into areas where they are not wanted though he too strongly dislikes the smell.

 

Jenny

 

I'll bin it in the post to you then Jenny

 

Do you want to have a go with mine? I'm frightened of it!!

 

I think you should keep it in a pot of its own, it would look rather handsome en masse and it couldn't escape. Perhaps a sophisticated contemporary black metallic one? Mine wanders about over one part of the garden but has never become a nuisance. I think it might even be dying out.

@Jenny namaste, it's used as a garnish, a leaf veg and a root veg in Vietnam where its name translates as fishy herb!