REDUCE FIRE HAZARD AROUND YOUR HOME AND IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF YOUR LANDSCAPE. WATCH FOR AND REMOVE THESE NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PLANTS. Wendy Whitman
Thanks to the spectacular monsoon last summer and the fall rains, our native plants have been blooming and flourishing. However as spring approaches, be on the lookout for these nonnative invasive species. Once established, they displace native plants and increase the intensity and spread of fire. Wild fires are not a natural part of the desert ecosystem, and native desert plants don’t typically recover from intense wildfires. Three non-native invasive plants to watch for in our area are Stinknet, Fountain grass and Buffel grass. All three are on the Arizona noxious plant list (updated in January 2020), which means these plants cannot be sold or imported into the state.
Call the Desert Mountain HOA if: • You are unsure of what NAOS is and what is not. • To report invasive species in NAOS areas. • If you need help identifying invasive species.
Take care to remove the correct species. Anyone having any concerns or questions about identifying and removing the “correct” species can contact the Desert Mountain HOA.
Stinknet (Oncosiphon piluliferum) Also known as Globe Chamomile. A winter annual originally from Africa, stinknet grows in dense clusters from 6-24 inches. It has bright green lacy or carrot like leaves and bright yellow globe like flower. Use gloves when handling this plant as it can cause allergic reaction in some people. It will leave a strong odor on your hands. Control must take place before plants go to seed. If infestations are allowed to propagate over the course of several seasons, they will form dense stands with prolific seed production. Stinknet can be manually pulled out as soon as it is recognized. It is important to remove the plants before they develop mature seeds. Once stinknet is established for a second year, chemical control becomes necessary. Glyphosate with MSO surfactant can be applied to plants before flowering.
10 | DesertMtCommunity.com
