Anita’s Blog – BioBlitz Results & New Challenge
- jjvanm
- Feb 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 22
The Invasive BioBlitz January 24 through February 1, was actually a precursor to “The Big Pull,” an initiative designed by the State Invasive Plants Committee chair of the Native Plant Society of Texas.
"The Big Pull" takes place during the National Invasive Species week, which is February 23 through March 8, 2026. It is exactly what it sounds like. The NPSOT’s link explains “The Big Pull” at this link.
Anyone can help control/remove/eradicate invasive species any time. During Invasive Species Week, Texas Master Naturalists might consider putting together a team for a special volunteer effort, tackling invasive species in their neighborhoods, local parks and other areas.
Digging out Guinea grass is already a continuing effort with many of our volunteer park maintenance teams.
Recognizing invasive species is often a problem. In an earlier blog post, I mentioned that many different organizations have their own invasives species lists. Generally, invasive species are introduced nonnative species that overtake and impair a natural habitat. For more defined information about invasive species, check out this link:
Another link, the link below, shows the “Top Offenders” which the NPSOT members kindly organized by ecoregion from the recent Invasives Bioblitz.
The map (at left) of where species during the Bioblitz were found mirrors the map (at right) of NPSOT chapters.
This link below shows the results of invasive plants observed throughout the state of Texas during the Bioblitz.
It’s important to note that the number of species may be from a region and not statewide. If you hover your cursor over the word, “observations” in each plant picture, and click, you will see where observations were made. For instance, there were 16 observations of Brazilian Pepper. If you open the observations, you will see that I uploaded 11 of those in several areas of Cameron County; one observation was not in the Rio Grande Valley, but on an Island below Galveston. The species is a real problem in the Mid and Lower Valley, and perhaps not a problem further up the coast.
Below, I have listed invasive species we are most likely to find in the Rio Grande Valley; not all are easy to remove. When it comes to removing trees my thought is to assess if it is a problem. Chinaberry is on the state “most wanted” invasive list; it’s in the top dirty dozen category and has been for years. Lilac chaste trees are another. If there is only one tree and it is not producing a small forest, and little upstarts can be mowed, then a lone tree may not seem to be a problem. Many naturalists and other experts may not have the same attitude. The problem really is when the trees go to seed, you can’t control where those seeds will end up.
Anyone inclined to take out plants during the big pull project may find some of my personal experiences helpful. With Guinea and Johnson grass, the roots must be dug out with a shovel. Alternately, weed eat great patches of the grass, leaving about four inches of height and then heavily spray with commercial herbicide. No time soon will that area be ready for replanting, though. Some herbicides caution that the soil is affected by the poison that penetrates down to the roots and may not be healthy for several months.
Bermuda grass, which is considered invasive, is an undertaking I wouldn’t consider unless I had access to a bulldozer. I have often accused it of having roots to China.
Giant reed is not something that can easily be tackled by hand either. It creeps underground, shooting up dense masses. It absolutely has the upper hand. Impossible to remove even in a team effort.
Coral vine can’t just be pulled from trees and fences. You have to find the stem and then dig up the massive rhizome.
Santa Maria feverfew, purple nutsedge and prickly sowthistle can all be removed by shallow digging at the stem end and then disposed. It is suggested the debris not be added to compost piles.
All three of these species have a tremendous number of seeds; just pulling prickly sowthistle by hand or knocking it down with a weed eater will cause white fluff to blow in the wind, carrying seeds to new destinations. Mowing keeps it at bay but new plants will continue to come up. One method, laborious but semi effective, is to clip off the head into a small trash bag before digging up the root. Purple nutsedge in our San Benito residence grew in the cracks of the driveway. It laughed at continual weed eating and commercial herbicide. If it can be dug up, there may be some success. Santa Maria feverfew is in the top 100 invasive lists worldwide. Dig it up, stash it in black lawn bags and send it out with the garbage.
It’s probably too late to try to control red center morning glory; it spreads quickly and far; it can cover small buildings and entire forests. Learn to recognize new vines pushing up in your yard and yank them out before they get going.
With Brazilian pepper shrubs less than 10 feet tall and girth, I have successfully used a chainsaw at the base of the growth, cutting close to the land – trying not to dull the blade by hitting the soil. As soon as the stump is visible, push the branches away and paint the stump with commercial herbicide. Paint it three days in a row, just to be sure.
If the Brazilian pepper is a large tree, carefully take it down in sections. Some people have a sensitivity to the foliage – wear long sleeves and gloves.
With any of these projects, wear gloves, close-toed shoes, long pants. Protect yourself.
Below are a dozen Rio Grande Valley Invasive Species. Those in bold print could be more easily tackled by a team of volunteers.
Chinaberry, Melia azedarach
Johnson grass, Sorghum halepense
Giant reed, Arundo donas
Prickly sowthistle, Sanchus asper - a problem nearly statewide.
Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactyton
Lilac chaste tree, Vitex agnus-castus
Brazilian pepper, Schinus terebinthifolia
Guinea grass, Megathyrsus maximus
Santa Maria feverfew, Parthenium hysterophorus
Coral vine, Antigonon leptopus
Purple nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus
Redcenter morning-glory, Ipomoea amnicola
