Invasive Plant Appearance Prompts Warning In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — Fairfax County is being affected by an invasive plant species that can grow aggressively and crowd out native plants.

Wavyleaf basketgrass (oplismenus undulatifolius), is spreading in natural areas of the county, according to the park authority. The perennial invasive plant first appeared in the U.S. in 1996 at Patapsco Valley State Park, in Maryland. It has since spread to Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.

This type of grass has wavy leaf blades with rippling waves as well as hairy stems and hairy leaf sheaths. The plant's leaf blades are flat around a half inch to 1 inch wide and 4 inches long. Wavyleaf basketgrass sprouts seed stalks with a sticky substance during the late summer and fall.

Spikelets produced by the plant can stick to clothing, boots and animals, which can spread the plant's seeds. The invasive plant grows low to the ground in shady areas and can spread to dense carpets. That can steal space from native plants such as shrub and tree seedlings.

Anyone who sees the invasive plant in a natural area can report it though apps MAEDN (Mid-Atlantic Early Detection Network) or iNaturalist. Residents who have it in their yards should carefully pull out the roots and bag the plant. It should be included with regular trash, but invasive plants should never be put with yard waste, the county government says.