Daily News Update, Jan. 29, 2008
New plant invades Texas coastal area
A new invasive plant is establishing along
the Texas coast. Originally brought to the United States as an
ornamental plant, Brazilian pepper tree has escaped cultivation and is
invading Texas wetlands and coastal prairies.
Widely introduced as an ornamental shrub,
Brazilian pepper tree was popular for its red berries and bright green
foliage. Other common names for this plant are Christmas berry and
Florida holly.
Despite the name, Brazilian pepper tree grows as a multi-stemmed
evergreen shrub in Texas. This plant has smooth gray bark, with numerous
intertwining, drooping branches and foliage. The leaves are glossy, dark
green, serrated, and grow in groups of five to nine leaflets.
Brazilian pepper tree reproduces by both seed and vegetative cuttings,
which readily sprout. The specie can tolerate some shade and can survive
up to six months of flooding. It is also very drought resistant and
grows well in Mediterranean and desert climates.
Once established, Brazilian pepper tree
can form dense thickets which deprive native vegetation of light and
moisture. Over time, this plant will replace native species by
out-competing native plants by forming dense monoculture colonies.
In addition to being invasive, Brazilian pepper tree is toxic to some
people. The plant causes skin irritation similar to poison ivy and can
cause respiratory difficulties in some people.
Brazilian pepper trees typically can be found in disturbed areas such as
ditches, drained wetlands, fallow fields, and roadsides. If Brazilian
pepper tree is growing on your property, immediate eradication is
recommended. The recommended method for eradication is by cut stump
herbicide treatment. Since it can be difficult to kill, it is important
to treat it early to prevent the establishment of dense thickets.
Specifics regarding chemical rates and
time of application can be received from your local county Extension
agent.
For pictures of the Brazilian pepper tree,
visit the NRCS Web site at
http://www.tx.nrcs.usda.gov/news/releases/tx_coast.html. |
