Posted 06/08/2011
One of the world’s worst weeds has found a home on O`ahu’s north shore.
Early this year, the O`ahu Army Natural Resources Program found Chromolaena odorata (also known as Siam weed or devil weed) in the Kahuku Training Area.
The highly invasive weed had not been found before in Hawai`i, but is a well-documented pest across Australia, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Its home range includes Florida, Texas, and Central and South America.
The plant, considered a noxious weed by the state Department of Agriculture (DOA), thrives in open, disturbed areas, grows extremely fast (up to 20 millimeters a day), and is a prolific seed producer.
It releases toxins to inhibit the growth of nearby plants, is toxic to livestock, and may cause rashes and asthma in humans.
In the same family as dandelions, C. odorata’s seeds are easily spread by the wind and via tires, backpacks, and footwear.
The U.S. Army, the O`ahu Invasive Species Committee (OISC), the DOA, and the Bishop Museum’s O`ahu Early Detection project staff have recently issued an alert for the plant and are collaborating to survey and control the pest.
So far, C. odorata has been found on a 150-acre area that includes the Army’s training ranges and the Kahuku motocross track. Also, a single plant has been found in Pupukea.
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