Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)
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Flowering plantsIn Stark County, Ohio

Japanese knotweed

Reynoutria japonica Houtt.

Japanese knotweed in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Genus
Reynoutria

Introduced and invasive status

Invasive in Ohio: Ohio Department of Agriculture (opens in a new tab) (listed as Fallopia japonica)

Also listed

Ohio law lists it as an invasive plant: not native to Ohio, and causing, or likely to cause, economic, environmental or human health harm.

iNaturalist's volunteer curators list it as introduced in their Ohio checklist.

US-RIIS assesses a species as invasive when it causes, or is likely to cause, harm there, or is at least locally abundant and harmful ecologically, economically, or to health.

Status: Simpson A, Sellers E, Pagad S (2023). United States Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (US-RIIS), ver. 2.0. U.S. Geological Survey, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KFFTOD (opens in a new tab)

Near Stark County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (44)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (37)
  • Recorded, season not shown (7)
  • Season shown (0)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
Japanese knotweed by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Allen CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ashland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ashtabula CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Athens County63 · Recorded, season not shown
Auglaize CountyNo qualifying records yet
Belmont CountyNo qualifying records yet
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Butler CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Champaign CountyNo qualifying records yet
Clark CountyNo qualifying records yet
Clermont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clinton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Columbiana CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Coshocton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Crawford CountyNo qualifying records yet
Cuyahoga County136 · Recorded, season not shown
Darke CountyNo qualifying records yet
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Delaware CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Erie CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fairfield CountyNo qualifying records yet
Fayette CountyNo qualifying records yet
Franklin CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fulton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Geauga CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Greene CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Guernsey CountyNo qualifying records yet
Hamilton County71 · Recorded, season not shown
Hancock CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hardin CountyNo qualifying records yet
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Henry CountyNo qualifying records yet
Highland CountyNo qualifying records yet
Hocking CountyNo qualifying records yet
Holmes CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Huron CountyNo qualifying records yet
Jackson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lake County21 · Recorded, season not shown
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Logan CountyNo qualifying records yet
Lorain CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lucas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Madison CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Marion CountyNo qualifying records yet
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mercer CountyNo qualifying records yet
Miami CountyNo qualifying records yet
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yet
Montgomery CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yet
Morrow CountyNo qualifying records yet
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ottawa CountyNo qualifying records yet
Paulding CountyNo qualifying records yet
Perry CountyNo qualifying records yet
Pickaway CountyNo qualifying records yet
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yet
Portage County24 · Recorded, season not shown
Preble CountyNo qualifying records yet
Putnam CountyNo qualifying records yet
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ross CountyNo qualifying records yet
Sandusky CountyNo qualifying records yet
Scioto CountyNo qualifying records yet
Seneca CountyNo qualifying records yet
Shelby CountyNo qualifying records yet
Stark County22 · Recorded, season not shown
Summit County92 · Recorded, season not shown
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union CountyNo qualifying records yet
Van Wert CountyNo qualifying records yet
Vinton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Williams CountyNo qualifying records yet
Wood CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wyandot CountyNo qualifying records yet

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Stark County

Recorded all year

Recorded through most of the year, so there is no single season to show. Based on 22 records in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Stark County · records of all species each week, 33,891 in all

Records per week from 22 records in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Japanese knotweed in Stark County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Japanese knotweedYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1000143
Jan 11–1700119
Jan 18–2400147
Jan 25–3100143
Feb 1–711117
Feb 8–1400168
Feb 15–2121164
Feb 22–2800247
Mar 1–711246
Mar 8–1400250
Mar 15–2111316
Mar 22–2800302
Mar 29 – Apr 400254
Apr 5–1100386
Apr 12–1800628
Apr 19–2511720
Apr 26 – May 2001,636
May 3–9001,048
May 10–1600697
May 17–2300768
May 24–30111,208
May 31 – Jun 611850
Jun 7–1300906
Jun 14–2000903
Jun 21–27111,262
Jun 28 – Jul 4001,285
Jul 5–11001,477
Jul 12–18001,492
Jul 19–25111,222
Jul 26 – Aug 1001,310
Aug 2–8001,099
Aug 9–15111,148
Aug 16–22001,200
Aug 23–29221,155
Aug 30 – Sep 5221,026
Sep 6–12221,177
Sep 13–19111,868
Sep 20–2600782
Sep 27 – Oct 300687
Oct 4–1000770
Oct 11–1700548
Oct 18–2400336
Oct 25–3100382
Nov 1–722289
Nov 8–1400168
Nov 15–2111147
Nov 22–2800116
Nov 29 – Dec 50084
Dec 6–1200108
Dec 13–1900113
Dec 20–2600123
Dec 27 – Jan 211151

Reported in flower

Only 2 records here show flowers, too few to show a flowering season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported in fruit

Only 2 records here show fruit, too few to show a fruiting season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

In Ohio

Not enough evidence

Recorded in two separate seasons, so one season would put its middle week in the gap. Based on 763 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, above the minimum of 20 records from 5 different years.
Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 763 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of Japanese knotweed in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Japanese knotweedYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10326,211
Jan 11–17115,146
Jan 18–24214,645
Jan 25–31224,698
Feb 1–7446,023
Feb 8–14115,888
Feb 15–21535,436
Feb 22–28116,846
Mar 1–7528,321
Mar 8–141110,384
Mar 15–211112,620
Mar 22–281113,949
Mar 29 – Apr 42219,661
Apr 5–115426,860
Apr 12–189339,925
Apr 19–2526841,623
Apr 26 – May 248956,391
May 3–924952,952
May 10–1632853,785
May 17–2325857,698
May 24–3017854,651
May 31 – Jun 613653,099
Jun 7–1319853,700
Jun 14–2011556,625
Jun 21–2711655,361
Jun 28 – Jul 417858,477
Jul 5–1113661,336
Jul 12–1815664,722
Jul 19–256369,753
Jul 26 – Aug 111659,416
Aug 2–88559,712
Aug 9–159555,994
Aug 16–2216854,328
Aug 23–2935851,772
Aug 30 – Sep 562957,167
Sep 6–1260759,075
Sep 13–19361054,543
Sep 20–26251045,860
Sep 27 – Oct 330743,180
Oct 4–1023937,841
Oct 11–1739730,824
Oct 18–2422821,156
Oct 25–3118619,021
Nov 1–711514,172
Nov 8–1412612,621
Nov 15–21747,965
Nov 22–28318,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5006,083
Dec 6–12336,004
Dec 13–19225,423
Dec 20–26225,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2938,459

Reported in flower

Only 18 records here show flowers, too few to show a flowering season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported in fruit

Only 6 records here show fruit, too few to show a fruiting season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • American pokeweed Phytolacca americana27 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Amur honeysuckle Lonicera maackii22 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • broad-leaved dock Rumex obtusifolius21 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • climbing false buckwheat Fallopia scandens19 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica18 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed66%49%
Forest25%31%
Open water4%3%
Wetland3%5%
Farmland2%11%
Barren0.4%0.6%

From 502 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

763 records from 1 dataset.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.