Tangled Connections

Tangled Connections

by Leah Craig, Nicole Weber, Amy Mertl, and Romi Kattelson

Their project uncovered innovative uses for the highly invasive plant Japanese knotweed, including a sculpture and native seed library on the community path, using it to grow local plant species, ink and dye making, partnering with O’Some Cafe to make tasty knotweed treats, and more! They offered two “The Unruly Plant” workshops at the Watertown Free Public Library on July 15 and October 8, 2025. 

The project continues to collect data about knotweed and you can contribute by documenting where Japanese knotweed exists in Watertown on iNaturalist: tinyurl.com/WTKnotweed