It’s not as weedy out there this year, but invasive grasses are stubborn and continue to pop up out of the ground. This is a good year to try and get ahead of the problem by getting rid of the invasives before they dry out and go to seed, making it an even bigger issue next year. I’ve tried to stay diligent on my small piece of property and each year I feel like I have to pull less leafy weeds like mustard out of the ground. But other grasses like red brome seem like they can blow in from anywhere.
There are 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.
Photo Credit: UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Red Brome and Mediterranean Grass not only pose 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. Yucca Valley saw this in 2022 with the Elk Fire which was accelerated by the burning of non-native grass.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
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:
Get Weeding! Help manage invasive plants in the Mojave – Mojave Desert Land Trust
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
