Japanese knotweed

[rwc1969]

Anyone ever ate this stuff? recipes?

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m50/shroomer69/Wild%20edible%20plants/Japaneseknotweedshoots10.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m50/shroomer69/Wild%20edible%20plants/Japaneseknotweedshoots01.jpg

http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m50/shroomer69/Wild%20edible%20plants/JapaneseKnotweedstalks01.jpg

[rwc1969]

It's a decent edible that has no real look a likes. I thought it would be more like asparagus, but it's not. It has a tart flavor that is somewhat like rhubarb.

Yet another invasive species that takes over entire habitats. I might try to make a pie or jam with it. It's more fruity than vegetably.

[your_comforting_company]

I spotted some greenbriar shoots in the woods around my parents house over the weekend. I'm gonna try some of those soon. Aren't they similar to knotweed?

[rwc1969]

I don't think so, according to Steve brill knotweed is related to buckwheat, curly dock and sheep sorrel. But, there are quite a few different knotweeds and they have different uses depending on species. One, smartweed, supposedly makes a good hot pepper substitute. I think Green Dean has a youtube video on that one. Although, I tried it last fall and it wasn't hot. Could be I had the right Genera and wrong species though.

JK's old stalk is very similar to bamboo or what we made cane poles out of in KY, but very fragile when compared. If you see a grove of bamboo like structures over head height then it might well be Polygonum cuspidatum, especially if the tops have tendril like appendages. This is where the flowers used to be.

I noticed those two things when walking from afar. It looked quite alien, and at first I thought it was some type of cane/ bamboo. I knew it wasn't a native species and I searched all over the net looking at pics of different stuff. A search on "bamboo like" turned up what it really was.

It was one of the plants I considered using for a tap on a box elder, but was too fragile to pound or jam in the hole. it may not work for a tap, but it's a pretty good edible with a flavor all it's own.

[rwc1969]

Actually YCC, I haven't found any greenbrier myself so I can't really say.