Plant invaders are threatening Arizona, but they are not from another galaxy. They are invasive plants which have entered Arizona from other states or countries and are harming our local ecosystems. The good news is that only about 15% of non-native plants are considered invasive.

However, according to the USDA, the U.S. spends over $137 billion annually to control and repair damage done by invasive species, both plant and animal.

An invasive plant is a “non-native plant introduced to an area that poses harm to the native ecosystem”. Invasive plants can cause ecological, environmental, and economic damage.

Examples are brome and buffelgrass which grow rapidly and push out native plants. Once dry, they pose an extreme fire hazard. Buffelgrass, Cenchrus ciliaris, was introduced for erosio

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