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February 13, 2007 : Arundo donax
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Keywords: Poaceae | Arundo donax L. | Yolo County, California
Thank you to Bacopa2@Flickr of northern California for sharing today's photographs with us. The originals were posted here and here on Flickr, accompanied with some interesting commentary from Bacopa2. Some fine photographs!
The Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plants Working Group has a site featuring the Least Wanted: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas. The 6m to 9m (20ft to 30ft) tall giant reed is listed as one of the many present day undesirable plants. I note “present day” for two reasons: 1) many of these plants were originally (and naïvely) planted for economic reasons, so at one time were desirable; and 2) the changing climate will doubtless induce more scourges in the future.
The University of California, Davis provides one of the most comprehensive factsheets on Arundo donax available online, including this tidbit: “Giant reed is naturalized and invasive in many regions, including southern Africa, subtropical United States through Mexico, the Caribbean islands and South America, Pacific Islands, Australia, and Southeast Asia (Hafliger and Scholz 1981).” Native to the Indian subcontinent, its spread is due in large part to human introduction into the landscape. Why? The Plants for a Future database cites many economic uses for the species, including control of soil erosion, use in textiles and building materials, commercial paper production and even the production of rayon.
Like the worst of many invasives, giant reed can completely choke out and eradicate native plants (and hence native plant diversity); where once dozens of species might have existed in a particular space, only a monoculture stand of Arundo donax might now remain. The local extirpation of native plants negatively affects nearly every other type of organism in the wetland areas it prefers, from fish and reptiles to birds and insects. The UC Davis link above goes into saddening detail on the variety of problems it causes.
More photographs of this species are available from the USDA PLANTS database and invasive.org.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at February 13, 2007 12:00 AM
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Comments
Posted by: Beverley at February 13, 2007 12:09 AM
One of the excellent photograph, that really inspired me.Moreover it shows the sense of understanding nature.
Posted by: M.Sajjad Iqbal at February 13, 2007 3:58 AM
These are stunning photos, practically like paintings. Many thanks for sharing them.
Posted by: Michael Williamson at February 13, 2007 6:24 AM
Absolutely spectacular images!
Posted by: Eric in SF at February 13, 2007 9:32 AM
I've seen firsthand the monoculture/crowding out of native species by Arundo donax in my travels to Ecuador and Peru. It was heartening to see the grass extensively used as building materials by a (comparatively) poor population, but the loss of species diversity is painfully obvious.
Posted by: Eric in SF at February 13, 2007 9:35 AM
As a kid growing up in coastal north San Diego County, CA, this was one of my favorite species. Not only did "bamboo" (as we used to call it, not knowing any better) grow in patches large enough to carve well-hidden tunnels and forts within, you could harvest it, drag it home, and make cool stuff with it.
Even though I eventually learned that it was a non-native, invasive species, It was a bittersweet experience watching the last local patch being bulldozed to make way for yet another business park.
Posted by: Eric Simpson at February 13, 2007 4:28 PM
Today's photo is so beautiful (Yolo County, California). Top to bottom, side to side, every inch of it is wonderful. How can I get a copy of it?
Thank you.
Carol Shelton
Posted by: Carol Shelton at February 13, 2007 7:03 PM
Oddly enough, Arundo is prized a a reed for wood wind instruments.
Posted by: Guy Webb at February 13, 2007 8:47 PM
This arundo looks to me like it's sitting in the middle of a patch of star thistles, which would be hardly any better.
Posted by: Anthony at February 24, 2007 2:22 PM
Does anyone happen to know any specifics on its ability to support weight? What diameter is needed to support how many pounds? e.g., Will one and a half inch diameter safely support 250 pounds or more?
Posted by: George Shaw at May 16, 2007 10:33 AM
The photos are awesome. The yellow that stands out so vividly from the grey is poetry in picture. It saddens me to hear so many discouraging remarks about this plant. The facts are that it does not spread by runners, nor are the seed viable. It can spread by water if planted near a stream. But I have seen few cases. It is only a menace to people and places that do not want it, due to its strong root system. I absolutely love the plant and respect it's beauty. California and Texas should try a little Kudzu for a change. Only then will they know what a true pest is.
Posted by: Matt Mendenhall at January 9, 2008 5:11 PM
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Botany Photo of the Day is a project of the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, located in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. UBC BGCPR is a department of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems within The University of British Columbia.
Arundo donax - Z7 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Arundo donax - Z6-10 - A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, Brickell, Cole, Zuk