Little-known laws to tackle Japanese knotweed could land you with a £34k bill. The plant was first imported by the Victorians for its attractive heart-shaped leaves and pollen-rich buds but is now regarded as a destructive scourge on gardens.
The plant is known for killing off native flora and damaging property by forcing its way through the tiniest of structural cracks. It is not illegal to have it growing in your garden and it doesn't have to be declared to the council or Environment Agency.
However, anyone caught putting it in their green or brown bin can be hit with £5,000 fines. You could face the penalty even if you dispose of the plant by accident or without knowing what it is, Stoke on Trent Live reports.
