Reynoutria japonica (also published as Fallopia japonica)
Japanese knotweed is an invasive perennial from eastern Asia whose young spring shoots have a tart, rhubarb-like character. UMaine describes it as widespread and extremely difficult to control in Maine.1
The edible stage is the youngest, most tender shoot. Mature stems become woody and the plant’s ecological behavior matters: harvesting should never involve deliberately spreading or transplanting it.1
Its hollow, jointed stems explain the old nickname “Mexican bamboo,” though it is unrelated to bamboo. Tiny fragments of its underground rhizomes can produce new plants, making careless disposal a real propagation risk.2
The tartness links it to rhubarb, and the two are relatives in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae.3
Footnotes
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Maine Home Garden News — April 2023,” 2023. ↩ ↩2
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Managing Japanese Knotweed,” 2013. ↩
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension, “Plant Families for Gardeners,” 2021. ↩