Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Thursday - May 14, 2009
From: Sierra Vista, AZ
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants
Title: Why is Asphodelus fistulosus (onionweed) forbidden by property owners assoications?
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Our local property owners association is imploring us to remove all onionweed (Asphodelus fistulosus L.). The USDA lists it as a noxious weed. Why? I think it is pretty and flowery. Is it poisonous, hallucinogenic, or what? Thank you.ANSWER:
Asphodelus fistulosus (onionweed) is an invasive, non-native from southern Europe, Mediterranean Africa and western Asia. On the webpage for the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health you can find links to several noxious plant lists on which it appears. It is very aggressive in propagating itself and has few, if any, predators since it is unpalatable to cattle and most wildlife. You can read more about its status in Arizona from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's Invaders of the Sonora Desert Region page. The Tonto National Forest in Arizona also has a page devoted to the onionweed. Mr. Smarty Plants says "thanks" to the local property owners association for helping to protect the environment from this aggressively invasive non-native plant.More Invasive Plants Questions
Managing non-native invasive creeping yellow cress in Rio Medina TX
January 10, 2012 - Due to my lawn mower dying and waiting for the shop to fix it my yard got a bit overgrown. I was walking around the yard looking at the blooming wildflowers and have discovered that one of them is Ror...
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Removal of trumpet creeper in Elkview MI
April 09, 2010 - Thank you for your informative response about the trumpet creeper. As pretty as it is- it will have to go! Trees are more important.
Thanks again!
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Determining whether a wisteria is native in Katy TX
July 30, 2010 - If a wisteria is blooming after the leaves are out (there are a couple of blooms right now, in July), is it a sure sign that this is a native Texas wisteria?
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Controlling Phragmites australis, common reed
July 04, 2008 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I volunteer at Cedar Ridge Preserve in Dallas. We are currently chopping down an invasive called Phragmites australis around the pond. The belief is that by continuously cho...
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Plants for Bastrop TX
June 01, 2011 - I'm hoping you can help with this. Recently I have moved to Bastrop TX on what used to be Camp Swift military property. We have looked into planting grass and plants in the yard but discovered we hav...
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