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Once admired ornamental plant is so hard to kill and grows so rampantly that homeowners can face being sued if they don't declare its presence. But how did Japanese knotweed end up in the UK? Why is it so damaging? And what might our attempts to get rid of it be doing to the environment? From The Guardian I'm Madeline Finley and this is Science Weekly.

Since it was introduced to the UK in 1850, Japanese knotweed has gone from novel ornamental plant to rampant invasive species. Madeleine Finlay speaks to journalist Samanth Subramanian about the huge costs associated with finding it on a property, and Dr Sophie Hocking explains what the plant, and our attempts to control it, might be doing to the environment.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod