Cover Story
What Are Mississippi’s
In vasi v e
Wee ds? By John D. Byrd Jr., Extension/Research Professor of Weed Science, Mississippi State University
L
ast fall, Dr. James McCurdy asked me to write an article on invasive weeds for the Spring 2015 issue of this magazine. I procrastinated writing it over the Christmas break. I thought I had it under control until I actually started working on it. About that time, I received an email from a graduate student in another department of the College of Agriculture, interested in plant diversity in Starkville. Specifically, the email stated, “…I’m curious if you have an idea of 12 • Mississippi Turfgrass • Spring 2015
the number of invasive plant species that can be found in Starkville?” It just so happened at the time I opened the email, I was also about halfway through deciphering the scientific names of 373 plants identified in a statewide survey of MDOT highway rights of way. My initial thought was to reply to the email, “No, I do not have a list. Every weed can be invasive unless it is growing in a pot inside your house or office.” Instead, I replied that inva-
sive is a broad adjective with reference to weeds and gave a few of these examples: • To livestock producers in Oktibbeha County, thistles, marshelder, Eastern red cedar and bitter sneezeweeds are invasive. • To county road supervisors in Oktibbeha County, johnsongrass and Eastern baccharis on roadsides are invasive. • To homeowners that live in many of Starkville’s residential areas, pine