HURRICANE, Utah — Utah agriculture and wildfire officials are starting the spring with a warning about invasive species.
Whether it’s Phragmites, crabgrass or tumbleweeds, these unwelcome plants are causing major problems across the state.
About those tumbleweeds.
"Russian thistle is what tumbleweed is more commonly known as. It was probably introduced from Russia," explained Ben Scow, an agriculture professor for Utah State University Extension.
Tumbleweeds may seem like a classic Western scene, but they're actually a relatively new arrival to the region.
"Tumbleweeds were not introduced until after all of our westerns actually took place. So historically, having the tumbleweeds bouncing across in the background, they weren't here at that point," Scow said.
The issue goes beyond just tumbleweeds. Nick Howell with the Bureau of Land Management says one invasive species in particular gives firefighters constant trouble.
"The big one in regards to invasive species would be cheatgrass. The more it burns, the more it grows, but when it burns, it burns really fast," Howell said.
Another problem plant is Phragmites, also known as the common reed.
"There are native Phragmites that grow along the rivers naturally, and there's also an introduced Phragmites, and they're very difficult to tell apart," Scow explained.
These invasive species can crowd out native plants, alter water flow, and increase fire risk. Authorities believe many of these plants arrived by hitching a ride on agricultural commodities brought in from other countries.
But Utah is taking the threat seriously.
"We're very aggressive on finding those, identifying them, and then treating them to get rid of them," Scow assured.
