Japanese knotweed specialists in Edinburgh

Guidance from The City of Edinburgh Council

• Residents are asked to report invasive weeds such as knotweed by email to the parks team, with photographs if possible, and not to touch the plants.
• Although the council stopped using glyphosate in most council-maintained green spaces from April 2024, it continues to use it where needed on invasive non-native species.
• The council publishes an information sheet explaining how knotweed is dealt with on council-owned land.

Further information is available on the council's website: Report an issue in parks and open spaces (Weeds).

Local background

• The Water of Leith Conservation Trust maps and stem-injects knotweed on the river between Balerno and Gorgie, with a council team covering the stretch downstream; in 2021 volunteers helped it treat 420 plants. (source)
• The Edinburgh Biodiversity Action Plan 2022 to 2027 commits the council to treat and record knotweed and giant hogweed on its land and to control invasive species, including knotweed, on the Cramond sand dunes. (source)

The law in Scotland

In Scotland, the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Act 2011 changed the law so that it is an offence to plant, or otherwise cause to grow, any plant in the wild outside its native range, which includes Japanese knotweed. A Scottish Government code of practice on non-native species explains what's expected of landowners; it is under review following a 2025 report by Environmental Standards Scotland.

See our guidance on Japanese knotweed and the law.