Redeeming invasive plants through paper making, repurposing and art.

Knot Just Weeds is all about the art of paper-making with Japanese  knotweed and other invasive plants.

Albert Pantone, a fiber artist who loves to make paper,  makes use of the most infuriating and invasive plant in the Northeast-Japanese knotweed.

Albert teaches paper making glasses. He shows his students how to identify the plant, harvest, cook down, and beat the fibers to a pulp. Finally, students make paper form the processed knotweed. Albert’s classes are for all ages.

Japanese Knotweed, Polygonum cuspidatum,was introduced in the United States as an Asian landscape ornamental. It thrives in sunny, moist areas such as riverbanks, but has quickly adapted to roadsides, lawns, and recently demolished home sites. This non-native invasive has taken a stronghold over many regions of the United States and other countries. It requires consistent action to counteract its spreading rhizomes. If left unattended, Japanese knotweed will continue to outcompete native plant species, completely altering our local ecosystems.