japanese knotweed in uk

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk Insect that fights Japanese knotweed to be released A tiny Japanese insect that could help the fight against an aggressive superweed has been given the go-ahead for a trial release in England. Since Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK it has rapidly spread, and the plant currently costs over £150m a year to control and clear. This is the first time that biocontrol - the use of a "natural predator" to control a pest - has been used in the EU to fight a weed. Japanese knotweed was introduced to the UK by the Victorians as an ornamental plant, but it soon escaped from gardens and began its rampant spread throughout the UK. It grows incredibly quickly - more than one metre a month - and rapidly swamps any other vegetation in its path. It is so hardy that it can burst through tarmac and concrete, causing costly damage to pavements, roads and buildings. The little insect feeds on the sap of the superweed, stunting its growth.

i'm fascinated by invading alien species, they always find an unoccupied or weak niche.