Bonnie Nowicki
Here we are in June already. As we prepare for the extreme heat and monsoons, I wish to share with you vital information I learned during a local Master Gardener’s meeting. University of Arizona (U of A) Invasive Species Outreach Specialist Ben Tully gave an excellent and thorough presentation on non-native grasses, targeting Buffelgrass and decorative Fountain grass.
Messy-looking Buffelgrass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.), a very robust perennial bunchgrass originating in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, was introduced as supplemental forage for livestock. It grows over three feet tall and wide with no natural predators such as insects and disease, so it flourishes and spreads easily. It has distinctive, bottlebrush-shaped, golden-brown flower heads when dry. It increases soil erosion and decreases water quality and quantity and most definitely increases fire hazards. It re-establishes and expands its range quickly after a fire.
Attractive Fountain grass (Cenchrus setaceus) is a coarse, dense perennial grass growing in 2- to 3-foot clumps, with rosy to purple bottlebrush-shaped flower stalks. It also originated in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Middle East. It was introduced as an ornamental landscape plant. Like Buffelgrass, it alters our native habitats and is a very serious threat to the Sonoran Desert and is an extreme fire hazard.
Ben Tully emphasized that invasive plants, especially these grasses, are everyone’s problem. These grasses have a significant impact on our native vegetation. May I suggest and encourage that we team up with neighbors to raise awareness and be vigilant of these non-native grasses in our natural neighborhood spaces. If you find these grasses on your property, remove and bag for the garbage. If you feel compelled to help eradicate them in public areas, volunteer opportunities abound. Please call Ben’s cell phone at U of A (520-596-1838), or email [email protected] for more information. Detailed brochures with photos are also available at the local Master Gardener’s extension center at 530 E. Whitehouse Canyon Road. It’s open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8 a.m. until noon.
Be proactive and get involved. Let’s keep our natural spaces beautiful and thriving.