Plant of the day: panic veldtgrass

A thicket of green grass in the middle of a dense forest is a strange sight at any time of year but is especially odd now, in late summer. But here it is–going brown at the edges but still distinctly green (not so easy to see in these photos, unfortunately). This is panic veldtgrass, or Ehrharta erecta, which is a nasty invasive. It isn’t picky and can grow in all sorts of places, forming a thick green carpet that smothers a diversity of other more delicate plants. Once you start seeing Ehrharta, you realize that it grows in many parts of Marin. After it gets established it’s tremendously difficult to get rid of, so it’s a good one for homeowners to be aggressive about getting rid of if it shows up on their land.