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A person might crack a
smile at the words
"Asian sprangletop," and
that's OK. Just don't
plant it in the back
yard. Also to be
avoided: tree of heaven.
Heavenly it is not, at
least in Texas.
These are two of the perhaps
lesser-known rooted
wonders that bear a
scarlet letter – an "I"
for invasive. Probably
hordes of gardeners have
succumbed to
better-known charms of
Ligustrum japonicum, for
example, or are pleased
with the hardiness of
Lantana camara. But the
Japanese privet and the
pretty, multihued
lantana both earn a spot
on someone's X list.
According to the Texas
Invasives web site,
aggressive plants that
hail from somewhere else
can do some or all of
these things:
•
Choke out beneficial
native plants while
threatening native
animals and ecosystems
•
Multiply rapidly
•
Clog waterways
•
Cost billions of dollars
annually in removal,
prevention and damage
repair
The web site is part of a
partnership between
governmental and private
organizations, including
the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center.
Partners announced the
formation of a Texas
Invasive Plant and Pest
Council last June. The
partnership makes sense
as both government
agencies and individuals
intentionally planted
many of the invasives.
In some cases, it seemed
like a good idea at the
time. The Chinese tallow
was meant to help the
soap industry. Some of
the most aggressive
Texas grasses appeared
courtesy of ranchers,
who wanted fast-growing
cattle forage.
Because different agencies
are in charge of
reporting and control,
no one can say exactly
how many invaders are in
Texas. The document
"Invasive Species
Texas," published by the
Union of Concerned
Scientists, reports a
minimum of 67
terrestrial plants and
12 aquatic plants on its
blacklist. It includes
such trees as the
Chinese tallow, which
occupies 30,000 acres in
Galveston County, and
hydrilla, which chokes
between 75,000 and
100,000 acres of
waterways in Texas.
The document calls three
plants "Worst of the
Worst" because of the
damage they do:
saltcedar, which alters
soil salinity, reduces
flow of water bodies,
and displaces other
valuable plants;
hydrilla, which depletes
oxygen in the water; and
the giant salvinia, a
choking aquatic fern
that doubles as a
mosquito breeding
ground. Runners up for
the "worst" title are
waterhyacinth and the
giant reed.
Preventing the spread of
invasives is not yet
widely accepted. As
experts note, calling a
plant "invasive" can
result in controversy.
But people who want to
apply as volunteer
spotters can go to the
Texas Invasives
organizations web site
and click on "Citizen
Scientists" link on the
left side for further
instruction.
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