Hmmm, interesting. I have no clue what you've got there, but from the sound of it, I want one!!!

From your description, I'm doubting it's bamboo. Does it look anything like this...

Here is a link that might be useful:

The original poster said she/he planted this plant. Are people actually planting knotweed?

Believe it or not: Yes, people do plant Japanese knotweed! I've done so myself, though mine unfortunately died after a few years in-ground, for reasons not at all clear. 'Crimson Beauty', the one I planted, isn't particularly invasive. Beautiful and rather striking, I dug my start from a small stand on what was once my grandparent's and great-grandparent's farm. In however many decades it had been there, the entire stand was no more than 20' across.

not knotweed - leaves are shorter and more heart shaped and there is no red, and they are definitely green/white. the stalks are like that, but lighter green and no red and no spots. I think I need to post picture when I find someone willing to take it.

Thanks for all your help so far.

Post a few pics... one of the entire plant and one up close of emerging culm or newest growth would be helpful
Blessings
CJ

I still think it's not bamboo, but a picture would help figure out what it is...

So why do you cut it to the ground every fall, It should stay green into december if its bamboo. Anyways, bamboo doesn't have heart shaped leaves, so you are in the wrong forum.

It sounds like Polygonum cuspidatum 'Variegata' which is a varigated Japanese Knotweed.

Bill

Yep. Bamboos are for the most part woody evergreen grasses (there are some small tropical herbaceous ones grown by specialists). You are describing a variegated knotweed. Although many of the weedy ones are often named Japanese knotweed it has been observed in various locations that the pestiferous ones actually consist largely of hybrid Japanese knotweed (Polygonum x bohemicum), an intermediate version resulting from the spontaneous crossing of Japanese knotweed and giant knotweed. Pure Japanese knotweed may not really be all that much of a problem in many (most?) places.

Polygonum x bohemicum
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Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica, syn. Polygonum cuspidatum, Reynoutria japonica)
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Kt

Yes, I probably understated the invasiveness of the pure Japanese knotweed. The hybrid could be called instead even more weedy.

In addition to the different leaf outlines the hybrid has been found to often be seedless. In the Seattle area very few seed-producing hybrid plants have been noted.

Thank you for the photos, I'm fairly sure you're right - it's a form of knotweed mainly because of the photo of the blooms which are almost identical. It definitely is not as large as the stand in the photo, it's been in for 6-7 years and is still no more than 4 ft at the base. I cut it back in the fall while it's green because it's easier to cut then. I will have to evaluate keeping it by what it does this year.
Sorry I'm in the wrong forum - it looked like a form of bamboo to me from the stalks.
Thanks to all who responded

By the way the captions in the above photos appear to be reversed. Japanese knotweed is the one with the more heart-shaped leaf.