Cogongrass
The folk at the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services asked us to spread the word about this noxious weed. The weed scientists at NCDA&CS are very concerned about Cogongrass entering our mountain ecosystem.
If you suspect that you have found an infestation please contact the NCDA Weed Specialist Bridget Lassiter at (919) 707-3749.
This is an interesting grass as one form was sold as an ornamental grass back in the early '90s under the name Japanese Bloodgrass Imperata cylindrica " Red Baron". Some of you may have been misinformed as I was, and used it in landscapes or sold it in your garden centers, with the impression that it was a sterile form of the species. I seem to recall that it did not appear to overwinter very well here in the mountains- but then some of those winters were colder than we have experienced lately. Unfortunately, in some climatic conditions it becomes a noxious weed.
