Cogongrass is spreading like fire ants throughout the Southern United States. It started just like the ant, introduced into the United States near Mobile, Alabama in 1911. It is now alive and doing well in nearly half of the counties in Alabama, all of Central Florida and her Panhandle. It is a growing concern for forests in all the upper coastal South. Cogongrass is worrysome enough to have a dedicated website - http://www.cogongrass.org/. There could be as much as a million acres of the invasive grass in the twelve southern states.
Cogongrass grows into a flamable mat of grass that creates intense, tree killing heat when on fire. It can be a nightmare for mowing equipment and without chemical eradication, will totally take over the forest floor and prevent any and all efforts to grow trees. This is not good news for Southern forests.
Identifying Cogongrass in Alabama - Photo by Steve Nix, Licensed to About.com
Comments