Monday May 15, 2023
AZPM —
A giant reed that can grow 4 inches per day is choking Arizona rivers, creeks, and lakes.
The stubborn Arundo donax plant, an invasive species brought to the U.S. from Southeast Asia, is wreaking havoc in about 30 mostly warm-weather states in the South and West, including Arizona.
According to the University of California, Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research, Arundo was first planted in California in the 1820s to provide roofing and erosion control in the Los Angeles area.
Willie Sommers, the invasive plant program coordinator for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, says nonnative plants can be described as out-of-control “biological wildfires.” His program provides grants to groups working to remove destructive plants, including Arundo, and is responsible for prioritizing invasive plant treatment.