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May 1, 2008 6:01 pm US/Central
'Killer Weed' Threatening North Texas Wildflowers
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
A killer weed found in Tarrant County is a new threat to our North Texas wildflowers. Branched Broomrape was first discovered this week by botanists from the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, along a stretch of Highway 287.
Branched Broomrape is a noxious weed. "This ones actually living off other plants, which makes it a little bit worse than other weeds," Tarrant County Agricultural Extension Office Agent Laura Miller told CBS 11 News.
Miller says the biggest threat is to Texas wildflowers. "Because it's an obligate parasite it will eventually kill the host plant that it grows on. So it could, theoretically, wipe out a patch of bluebonnets," she said.
Broomrape is an invasive species that is native to Europe and was first discovered in East Central Texas in 2000. The weed has now spread to 21 Texas counties.
Botanists say seeds from the weed are tough and can survive for long periods of time. "Even if I dug this up, bagged it up real carefully and removed it, there are already seeds on the ground and for the next 15 years or so they might come up," Miller said.
While experts say local gardeners have little to fear, the presence of the weed along roadways should raise a 'red flag'. "Like anything else, if it gets out of hand it could become a bigger problem than you realize. That's why we're always concerned about invasive species, because we don't really know what they're gonna do here," Miller said.
Experts say if you find the weed on your property you should dig it up with a shovel, put it in a plastic bag and place it outside in the heat to make sure it's dead. Once that is done throw the dead weeds into the trash.
The Texas Department of Agriculture listed some information about Branched Broomrape that included –
- The Branched Broomrape or Orobanche ramosa is considered a state listed noxious weed in Texas. This means a person commits an offense (Class C misdemeanor) under the Texas Agriculture Code, §71.152, if the person sells, distributes or imports the weed into the state in any live form.
- While the Branched Broomrape does in fact pose a threat to crops and plants, for the most part its growth has been limited to highway right-of-ways.
- The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) works closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the AgriLife Extension to monitor and prevent the spread of the Branched Broomrape. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) works closely with TDA and USDA to ensure that their mowers are cleaned after each mow to prevent the spread of this and other weeds. In addition to cleaning equipment, TxDOT has also been actively treating roadsides in infested counties.
Agriculture officials say small infestations of Branched Broomrape can be controlled by digging plants, spot treatment with herbicide and planting grasses instead of broad-leaf vegetation.
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