Invasive weeds threaten Mojave native species, pose larger fire danger in summer months

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To the hopes of Instagrammers everywhere, a superbloom is rumored to be heading to the hi desert this spring. Just the thought of my backyard filled with  flowers has me pausing on weeding too aggressively – as its been about 3 years since it was blanketed with the bright yellow and pale purple wildflowers that come with wetter weather in the winter. 

There are – however – a few easy to spot weeds that are good to grab early – as they are invasive to the mojave desert and can choke out our native species, as well as become a fire danger in the hotter summer months.

London Rocket and Sahara Mustard are both easy to spot invasive weeds – they have big leafy bases with seeds pods that jut out at a 45 degree angle – and they aren’t particularly attractive even when they do flower. When pulling these, especially if they are larger and established, be sure to grab near the base and give it a gentle shake to pull the roots right out of the ground.

Red Brome and Mediterranean Grass are also an eyesore – in this amateur landscaper’s opinion – and not only pose as a threat to native flowers while they are green – they quickly go to seed and dry during the summer months and can ignite and spread wildfire quicker, as Yucca Valley saw in last year’s Elk fire which was accelerated by the burning of non-native grass.

A hula-hoe can make quick work of both types of grass, especially if you catch it early before it spreads. When disposing of invasive weeds – be sure to bag them in trash or yard waste bags as the seeds spread easily.

Links:

National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/im/mojn/invasive-and-exotic-plants.htm

Field Guide for Managing Red Brome in the Southwest (PDF): https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5410123.pdf

UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research – Sahara Mustard: https://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive-species/sahara-mustard