Some of Arizona’s most beautiful wildflower areas are threatened due to overcrowding by nonnative, invasive plants.  Giant reed, and Bermuda grass, a common lawn grass, have escaped from yards and can now be found chocking out fragile desert wetlands across the southwest.

Non-native grasses, like fountain grass, spread into natural areas fueling fires that destroy saguaros and other plants that can’t survive strong fires.

Often, invasive species don’t reveal themselves immediately. They may seem to be well-behaved landscape plants for decades. Eventually a few adapt to natural areas. Once adapted, the invasive plant’s population explodes. Without prompt action, invaders may overwhelm an ecosystem. Such is the case with fountain grass. Introduced as a graceful ornamental and widely planted, it disperses by seed and spreads into canyons, washes and along roadsides. It not only crowds out natives, but also dries into flammable fuel. Unlike native desert plants that are often killed by hot fires, fountain grass re-sprout quickly after a burn and can dominate a landscape and fueling even larger fires.