Hi all
This is an interesting topic, as it tends to polarize discussions pretty sharply. As a beekeeper, this is my favorite plant. It is abundant in NYS, reliable and has a dark but mysterious honey. 

The scientific name keeps changing, can hardly keep up with it. Was: Polygonum japonicum); then: Fallopia japonica; now: Reynoutria japonica. 

It was a long time that I never saw any seeds on it, which struck me as odd, since there are bees all over it and it appears to have pollen. So, I dug in and found that most patches of it are clonal, and are either male or female, but seldom both. 

Finally, I found a huge patch of it covered with seeds. Since then, I know of several such patches. Either these patches contain both sexes in proximity or there are bisexual (self pollinating) types. 

It is illegal in NYS to propagate this and anything else on their extensive hit-list (which includes Apis m. scutellata, by the way) — but knotweed needs no help, it’s pretty much everywhere. It usually takes up in so-called “wasteland,” the region between wild and cultivated landscapes. That is, roadsides, vacant lots, stream beds, etc. 

Is it a good thing? I like it, but then, I may be the odd man out.

¶

> Invasive species often occupy a wide variety of habitats in their invaded range, which may differ from those occupied in the native range. … local adaptation has not occurred in this species despite substantial environmental variation across geographically distant populations. Instead, our results suggest that phenotypic plasticity may play an important role in allowing success in a wide range of environments.

Peter 🐝

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