Is this Japanese knotweed?!

[Gardeningquestion]

I saw these little shoots coming up and I have one of those plant picture apps. I took a picture and top result (of a few other options) was Japanese knotweed. A little worried!

What do you reckon?

I don’t think so. The back edge of the leaf should be flatter even in new shoots. I will need to have a scout around my garden this week as we have been treating a small patch for about 5 years. None last year but we have had it skip a year before.

Sorry to jump on your thread OP, but does anyone know if this is JKW? Our local council thinks not, but I'm not so sure. These were taken last summer. Its currently lots of hollow stems, not purple though.

@longtompot Yes, that's definitely jkw. The giveaway is the leaf shape -- like a trowel/shovel shape and the back of the leaf is flat

@longtompot I agree with @titsmcgee that it's knotweed. Looks like it was taken the end of the summer when the white flowers start to drop.

When you see the white flowers, you know it's the perfect time to treat.

OP That’s not knotweed.

longtompot I used to grow buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) which looks similar. In the end I removed it because of people insisting that it was knotweed. The best time to treat it is late summer, and attempts to dig it out as soon as you see it result in broken roots and more knotweed. You have plenty of time for it to show its true identity. Picture of BUCKWHEAT from Wikipedia

@longtompot I don't think that is jkw- maybe a variant as others suggest?

I unfortunately have much experience of knotweed and the leaves don't look heart shaped enough to me.