While typically a lot of us will be happy to have seen the back end of it, those of us who have a Japanese knotweed infestation on their premises will have a feeling of dread when they see the tell-tale red shoots coming back up.

Around this time of year, you can expect to see Japanese knotweed shoots starting to come through with red/purple speckled stems. You may also notice that the Japanese knotweed plants may have leaves that are furled with red veins running through them – by the end of the month, these leaves will have unfurled fully, displaying their distinctive heart shape. The leaves also alternate in a zig-zag formation; this being one of the key characteristics to look out for when identifying the invasive weed