NPS - National Park Service
03/28/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/28/2024 17:30
Saguaro National Park seeks help in combating invasive stinknet
News Release Date:
March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024
Contact:Frankie Foley
TUCSON, Ariz. - Saguaro National Park is asking park visitors and the greater Tucson community to be vigilant about a new and ever-increasing threat to the Sonoran desert landscape: invasive stinknet. Plants are currently flowering in southern Arizona, and finding and removing them before they set seed is critical to stopping their spread.
Since its arrival in Arizona, stinknet (Oncosiphon pilulifer), a native of southern Africa, has taken over open spaces throughout Maricopa County and is successfully making its way down to Tucson. The bright yellow ball-shaped flowers may look pretty, but stinknet can quickly overtake native wildflowers and form dense stands that become major fire risks when they dry out. The plant also poses health risks - its oily foliage can irritate skin, and burning plants produce caustic smoke linked to respiratory problems. While stinknet is relatively new to Tucson and Pima County, biologists are concerned about its rapid rate of spread and consider it to be the most dangerous invasive plant since buffelgrass was introduced in the 1930s.
"We have a unique opportunity right now to work together and protect this desert landscape that we love," says Frankie Foley, a biologist at Saguaro National Park. "We're asking the public to notify us when they find stinknet plants by going to www.stinknet.org and submitting a report. We are monitoring those reports daily and contacting landowners to prevent further spread."
Saguaro National Park has also partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Pima County, Tucson Audubon Society, and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to host volunteer plant pulls. More information about these volunteer events can be found on the Desert Museum website at www.desertmuseum.org/buffelgrass/pullsitelist.
Visitors should avoid walking near or stepping on this flowering weed both in the park and around town to avoid spreading its seeds. Instructions for downloading a reporting survey form can be found at www.stinknet.org. Reporting is available to anyone with a mobile device.