My Noxious Weed

Japanese Knot-weed (c) 2012 High Virginia Images

I was standing out in my yard last week and was in awe at the number of honey bees on the Japanese Knot-weed (Polygonum cuspidatum) in my yard. There is a solid wall of Knot-weed which is about 25 yards long bordering my front yard. This non-native invasive species sure does make a nice, summertime privacy fence. It was in full bloom and absolutely covered with life. The majority of the insect activity was comprised of several thousand honey bees, busily working on the buckwheat like flowers. I am sure that many pounds of honey will be produced from these tiny white flowers.

As I marveled at the sight and intense activity; I couldn't help but chuckle and think to myself about our silly governments' thinking and reasoning. You see, earlier this summer some federal employees were handing out information about the terrors of knot-weed at one of our local fine eating establishments. You could buy some gray, compressed chicken paste fried in grease and learn all about this nasty invasive. Sometimes you just shake your head and move on.

I started thinking at the time this program was announced; which is worse? I could come up with several good things about this invasive weed and none about the rest of the parties involved therefore; which one is the most noxious? Japanese Knot-weed blocks out noise and sights from the highway, feeds numerous insects, can be turned into honey, makes great compost and I have heard that it is edible when young and prepared like asparagus. On the other hand, I couldn't come up with any redeeming qualities for compressed chicken slime or wasteful spending by the federal government. Now you tell me which is the greatest threat to us all. Both of the latter are very hard to swallow.

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