INVASIVES! Please Remove!

Lindy Brigham - RillitoBend Neighborhood Association
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Please note that this is a work in progress. Information is still being collected. If you have information to share about any of these plants, suggestions for ways to improve the presentation, or additional plants that should be included, please email [email protected]
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Many of you are probably aware of various plants that are considered invasive. Some are an annoyance if you want to preserve a mostly Sonoran Desert flora, but some are also dangerous.  The following are ones that have been identified in the neighborhood and need to be removed.  Remember that they are invasive because they spread so easily.  So they need to be removed once they are identified to keep them from spreading. Everyone needs to do their part!  While many plants can be sprayed with herbicides, physical removal ensures that seeds will not spread.  Wear gloves, bag all plants carefully and put in trash barrels.  Make sure you are not spreading seeds on your clothes and shoes.

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The plants we are most concerned with are Stinknet, Maltese Thistle,  Buffelgrass, Cheat Grass, and Red Brome.  Below are ways to identify and remove safely.

STINKNET - also called Globe Chamomille - (Oncosiphon piluliferum)
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​Stinknet can cause respiratory or skin allergic reactions. Wear gloves, long sleeves and long pants when pulling the weeds.

Here is more information on Stinknet:

• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
• Sonoran Desert Cooperative Weed Management Area
• Arizona Daily Star 

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MALTESE STAR-THISTLE - (Centaurea melitensis) 

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More information:
- Sonoran Desert Cooperative Weed Management Area

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BUFFELGRASS - (Cenchrus ciliaris) 

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More Information:

• Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

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FOXTAIL - (Hordeum sp.?) Please note that we have not had a botanist identify the plants that are in the neighborhood.  There are several grasses that produce seed heads that look like foxtails and they are all dangerous for pets, especially dogs.

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More Information:

• Northern Arizona Invasive Plants

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CHEATGRASS - (Bromus tectorum) also called Downy Brome

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More Information:

• Northern Arizona Invasive Plants

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Red Brome - (Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens) also called foxtail cress

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More Information:

• California Invasive Plant Council

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Note: Images of invasive plants are from the references.