Can anyone identify this weed please as I've never come across it before ? The roots are red - ish, jointed and are about a pencil width thick and go to about 2 feet + depth !! The foliage is polygonatum type - darkish green. It's only in a small area on our allotment - but is very prolific in that area.
Many thanks for any info -
(http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h234/Helenelkin/weed.jpg)
It may well be a form of persicaria (formerly polygonatum) which is a relative of Japanese knotweed and inclined to spread with gay abandon when happy.
I am not sure what it is but I would say that it is a weed that is propagated by 'root cuttings' meaning that each piece that is left in after digging will re-root.
Does it have a distinctive smell when the leaves are bruised?
It looks like Polygonum lapathifolia or P. persicaria which are perennial weeds so hoe it off or dig it up to get rid of the roots, if possible.
I know this one in my neck of the woods its called willow weed Treat it as twitch or bind weed. There used to be an allotment holder who told me when he had the job of digging wells he would find roots as thick as his arm 10 foot down but I think there was a little bit of fisherman tale!! I just dig it up and burn its quite therapeutic!!
Thanks for the info - I dont know if it smells as we dont have any in our garden at home (thank goodness!) so not able to smell it at the moment. The Willow weed / P. persicaria certainly seem to fit the bill - worrying about the roots - they certainly go a lot deeper than the depth I was prepared to dig so I dont think I've seen the last of it !!