Re: Was Organic-Manic, now Giant Reed
- To: K*@aol.com
- Subject: Re: Was Organic-Manic, now Giant Reed
- From: B*@monterey.edu (Barry Garcia)
- Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 00:48:59 -0800
- References: <0.188f6920.2585dc52@aol.com>
K1MIZE@aol.com writes:
> "Coastal riparian systems, especially in southern and central
>California,
>are highly threatened by the invasion of the exotic giant reed (Arundo
>donax). Originally introduced to California in the early 1800s for
>erosion
>control, this Asian grass has spread aggressively along rivers, forming
>dense
>stands twenty-five tall. Expansion is mainly through vegetative
>propagation;
>rhyzomes and stems, torn up by flood waters, wash downstream where they
>take
>root and establish new populations.
>
I've seen huge stands of this plant along the Salinas river in places.
It's true, it forms very thick stands. Near a local gas station, in the
back yard of one of the nearby houses, there is a massive stand of this
that practically fills the entire back yard. There are also large stands
around the lake at Laguna Grande park in Seaside, CA.
I remember that often after storms, the beach will be littered with clumps
of this plant (leafless of course) as well as broken canes, some reaching
20 feet long. I think however, the last major flood washed most of the
stands of Arundo out of the Salinas river (the parts I see at least). It
seems to persist even where it does not get any care, or supplemental
water. Although it spreads very slowly, and not quite as tall.
>
As a child I used to think it was bamboo because of the stems, but the
stems arent very good for anything but stakes since they tend to be weak.
________________________________________________
The damage is done, and you'll see that you were wrong....
