The Legal Aspect of Knotweed

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We're starting to see even successful lawsuits against sellers and surveyors as a result of finding knotweed. The biggest kind of damage that it does to houses is really sort of the takeover of its garden. It's the kind of thing that leaves open a window for lawyers to really press for more money. And I think courts have been quite ready to grant it.

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