Eeeuch. :( Japanese Knotweed is evil, evil stuff. It's the only organic material from the yard I put right into the trash bin, instead of composting. Three years of regularly weeding the infestation here have slowed it down slightly, but not much. In your situation Queuetue, I'd be tempted to go through the compost carefully and remove all the Japanese Knotweed you can find -- especially the roots -- and then set the remaining compost aside for a year. Maybe even inside sealed plastic garbage bags, to help anaerobic conditions occur which might help kill and break down any remaining knotweed roots or stems. Or, you could just spread the possibly-contaminated compost as a surface mulch on garden areas which already have knotweed, then watch those areas closely. In the part of the garden here which has knotweed, I don't ever till any more, or even rake the soil. Each year the new sprouts come up slower and fewer, but they still come up. One time last summer when I'd neglected weeding for two weeks, there were fifty of them. And in the summer of 2005, before I found out what kind of plant it was, a single stem grew over my head -- in one month. Good luck Queuetue and all the best, -Patrick Here is a link that might be useful: Wikipedia article on the evil weed

Yep. Bamboos are for the most part woody evergreen grasses (there are some small tropical herbaceous ones grown by specialists). You are describing a variegated knotweed. Although many of the weedy ones are often named Japanese knotweed it has been observed in various locations that the pestiferous ones actually consist largely of hybrid Japanese knotweed (Polygonum x bohemicum), an intermediate version resulting from the spontaneous crossing of Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed. Pure Japanese knotweed may not really be all that much of a problem in many (most?) places.

It's pretty but a pernicious weed that spreads about and is impossible to eradicate. There are better things to grow than Polygonum cuspidatum (Fallopia japonica).

LOL..I had experience at my old house digging up 4 oclocks. I think I got a 4'root that was shaped like fat legs of a man. I had three huge plants like that and a multitude of babies. I kept at it and finally succeeded. There are some nice native 4 o'clocks that are better behaved. I am sitting here wondering about Salvia chiquita. It is new in the trade (8 years or so) and in my yard, I am starting to think it is enterely TOO Happy. THousands of seedlings this year.Years ago, I was unaware of the invasive list when I planted ruella ( maybe it was not on it yet) at my old house and same with the tahitian bridal veil. they both took over good. I whish I had known that there was a list to get information from 30 years ago. I think I would have made some different decisions. I sold that house. I weeded it to peices before I left but I went back and yes it is back.I am a lot more careful now. I am taking the salvia to a plant swap with warnings to keep an eye on it. It is not on the list, but is it only a matter of time I am afraid. Maybe people in clay will have a different experience. I backed the salvia off away from the slope...Same with the Roman Chamomile. I am looking sideways at both now and feeling maybe this is the year that I start yanking. I googled for info on the net and I have not seen the salvia mentioned. I do know that California has problems with some invasive salvias. They have the wet winter dry summer rythm. It seeds out in dry winters and wet winters, just a lot more on wet winters. If there is someone out there that has experience with this in the central Texas canyon land area and has some thoughts about the seeding habits of these plants.