Plant / weed id please

[Ilikedogs]

We have this plant coming out of our lawn. We tried to dig it out and it seems to have multiplied. Does anyone know what it is and how to get rid of it?

A wider shot if it helps

Is it laurel that might have sprouted from nearby hedging

Is there anything like it but bigger anywhere around? Is the lawn new, if so do you know what was there before?

Have you got a photo of the leaf?
The red of the stork could indicate Japanese knotweed especially if it spread when trying to dig it out but hard to confirm without a leaf photo or you could google Japanese’s knotweed leaf identification to see if you have a match.

I think Japanese knotweed branches alternately, those look paired, and the leaves aren't quite like that?

I can’t see the kink effect you get in the stem of jk but it is hard to tell how big those shoots are.
Doesn’t look like a laurel to me and the most concerning thing is if it spread by by trying to dig it out.
Really need more pictures of the leafs and stems

Whatever it is, you may need to think in terms of using a systematic herbicide which will get down into the roots, rather than trying to get rid of it by hand. Though strimming it off and then relentlessly mowing to stop new leaf growth might work over time, I suppose.

You can get weedkiller for use in lawns, maybe try that?

Here are some more photos. I really hope it’s not Japanese knotweed!

It is a relatively new lawn (2yrs this old) and it was growing last year but never really grew/ spread since we kept mowing the lawn. There is privet and holly nearby but not too much else

Since we haven’t really mown the lawn this year it grew to about 10 or 12”.

We do have a dog so was hoping to not use weed killer but sounds like we’ll need to.

The current shoots are about 5ish inches tall

Seems like the leaf shape isn’t quite the same? Although could it be because it’s quite a young plant? I would say it’s grown those 5 inches in the last couple of weeks.

Any recommendations of what weed killer is best to use?

Thanks for the help!

I don't think it's knotweed. Ok, what you've said may explain it - there must have been roots left from whatever was there before the lawn, you kept it in check last year through mowing but this year, presumably because of the drought, you haven't had to mow and it's taken off.

I've never had to deal with anything like this but I'd either try glyphosate (applied with a brush or sponge as it will kill grass) and then not mow it until it died back (probably would need a few applications) or I'd try the strim then mow regime.

I don’t think it’s knotweed either. It looks a bit like American pokeweed which is an invasive non native species and can be spread by birds dropping the seed. It has a taproot which mean any little bit left in the ground will grow into a new plant. Glyphosate (round up) is pretty much the only herbicide available to home gardeners so you could give that a try, or else try to dig up the whole root!

Thank you for the help!
Have googled American pokeweed and I think that looks very likely.

Wrong shaped leaf for knot weed so you are ok there.
I would get some SBK from any garden centre or diy shed and give each bit of growth a good coat of it. That should take care of what is coming through now and then just keep an eye on the area and do the same to any more new growth. SBK will travel down to the root of it and kill it so within a couple of days it will go brown and die.

I get cherry tree suckers in my lawn - could it be that? They grow up from roots a good few meters from the main tree.

It's best to weedkill early in the season (ie spring) when the weeds are growing fast so don't be disappointed if it doesn't die completely, just treat it again in the spring.