Planning permission could soon be refused for houses and other buildings in areas infested by Japanese knotweed, it has been warned.

A campaign is under way in the Kilkenny area to contain an outbreak of giant hogweed — an invasive plant which can result in injuries when it comes into contact with people.

It was brought to Europe in mid-19th century and was much-admired for its ornamental foliage, after being uprooted from its natural habitat on the slopes of Japanese volcanoes, but it has become our most challenging invasive plant.

A Victorian trend for keeping and trading exotic plants has given the worst invasive species time to take root across Ireland, writes Colette O’Flynn.

SOME non-native species, animals or plants, represent a huge threat to our natural flora and fauna and the environment that sustains them.