| Appearing in early spring, Japanese Knotweed starts | | | | Knotweed. |
| out as fat, greenish stalks with red speckles poking | | | | The Japanese Knotweed shoots are edible from April |
| straight up from the ground. When young, Japanese | | | | until early May. After this window of time, the plant |
| Knotweed hardly has the identifiable characteristics of | | | | matures and grows increasingly woody tough. |
| the more mature plant. However, you can identify last | | | | Sometimes, when a mature plant has been cut down |
| year's plants by the stalks they leave behind. They are | | | | and if the season remains warm and moist, new edible |
| tall, hollow, wooden, and bamboo-like and can grow to | | | | shoots will begin to grow at the close of the season. |
| almost 13-feet tall at the height of the season. | | | | The best time to prepare and eat Japanese |
| At first glance Japanese Knotweed would seem to be | | | | Knotweed is when it is around 6 to 8 inches tall. The |
| a part of the bamboo family. However, it is actually a | | | | plant is extremely tart and is very similar to rhubarb. |
| member of the buckwheat family. The foliage of this | | | | Like rhubarb, the leaves should be discarded and the |
| unique plant is large, triangular, and smooth edged. It | | | | stalks are used to prepare a number of dishes. If you |
| usually grows between 4 to 6 inches long and 2 to 4 | | | | get to the plant after it has exceeded a height of 8 |
| inches wide. The leaves also have pointed tips and a | | | | inches, most often the stalks are covered by a very |
| wide, flat base. The mature stems are | | | | tough rind. In this case you need to peel the rind away |
| characteristically known to create a zigzag pattern as | | | | from the stalk to reveal the savory stalk on the inside. |
| it grows upward. | | | | The rind can then be used to make marmalade. |
| In the late summer and fall the Japanese Knotweed | | | | There are several options for preparing and eating |
| blooms flowers. Its beautiful appearance during this | | | | Japanese Knotweed. They've been used in jams, |
| time is the first reason why people began to import | | | | sauces, soups, dessert dishes, or simply steamed like |
| this plant. The tiny, white flowers will appear where the | | | | vegetables. Because of its tangy attributes, at times |
| leaf-stalk meets the stem and grow in extended, lacy | | | | people have substituted cooked Japanese Knotweed |
| spikes that is quite beautiful and unique from any other | | | | for lemon juice which gives mundane recipes a very |
| plant. | | | | exotic taste. |
| Japanese Knotweed will flourish in disturbed soil with | | | | When prepared, Japanese Knotweed is an excellent |
| high moisture levels, most often along the sides of the | | | | source of vitamins C and A,potassium, phosphorous, |
| road, in fields or on riverbanks. Once it takes hold in an | | | | zinc and has been known to have powerful |
| area, it has the tendency to push other plants out and | | | | antioxidantpotential. It is also a prime source for |
| take over. People who have fought them have found | | | | resveratrol, which is also found in red wines and the |
| that they are very difficult to eradicate. So instead of | | | | skin of grapes. Resveratrol has been known to have a |
| spending all their time trying to get rid of the plants, | | | | positive impact on bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and |
| people have begun harvesting this edible plant. They | | | | aids in the prevention of heart disease. The same |
| are also thinking of new ways to prepare and sell it to | | | | substance has been known to reduce the risk and |
| others. There have even been several festivals | | | | progression of Alzheimer's. Large quantities of the |
| devoted primarily to the harvest of the Japanese | | | | plant can also be used as a laxative, much like rhubarb. |