Plants are seen as essential to most households for gardens, as they help to bring colour and beauty to outdoor spaces.
However, if certain plants are grown, they could be causing damage to property, reducing the value of a property, and could even put buyers off altogether.
If gardeners want to ruin their summer and end up losing thousands in property value, there are some plants that need to be avoided.
For those who have any of these plants in their garden, it’s important to take action before putting the home on the market.
Gardening expert, Fiona Jenkins from MyJobQuote.co.uk has shared five plants that could reduce property value the most.
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1. Japanese knotweed
Japanese Knotweed is a bamboo-like plant structure with red shoots and shovel-shaped leaves. The Japanese knotweed plant can grow up to around three metres tall and can burrow up to around 20 metres underground.
The expert claimed that this plant is “very dangerous” to have close to the home as its underground roots can “weaken foundations and destroy pipework”.
Fiona urged: “If you notice Japanese knotweed near your home, you’ll need to take immediate action. It can be extremely difficult to get rid of and professional help is required to ensure it is removed properly. On average Japanese Knotweed can knock around £25,000 off your home’s value.”
2. English ivy
Ivy may look very attractive, especially when it is attached to the exterior walls of homes. However, ivy can “often be damaging”.
The expert explained: “It can attack the walls of your home, making its way through cracks and penetrating the mortar. This can lead to some serious problems with damp and could cause some hefty leaks.”
English ivy can be peeled away by hand but it’s important to wear gloves to avoid irritation. The roots can be killed or removed relatively easily as a DIY job.
3. Giant hogweed
Giant hogweed is an “invasive plant” with thick purple-spotted stems and white umbrella-shaped flowers. This plant is often found near ponds. The sap of this plant is “phototoxic”, which means it can cause severe burns to the skin in sunlight.
Although it doesn’t cause any damage to a property, it can “cost a hefty amount to remove” – around £15,000 on average. With this in mind, the presence of this plant in gardens could “lead buyers to seek a lower price for the property”, warned Fiona.
4. Poplar trees
Trees are a brilliant addition to any garden as they offer shade and beauty. However, for those who have large trees in the garden like poplar trees, these will produce large roots underneath the garden.
If these are close to a house, this could “cause structural problems”. This could then result in a “reduced property price”.
5. Himalayan balsam
Himalayan balsam is described to be an “aggressive” pink flowering shrub. This plant can have a “very significant effect” on the local ecosystem so it’s important that gardeners keep it in check. Fiona said: “It can become very overwhelming if you don’t keep on top of it.
“If you allow this plant to spread into neighbouring properties, this could be an offence and you may end up facing a hefty fine.”