14 March 2025 - Friday Field Notes
Temperatures are starting to warm up and spring is officially right around the corner, so back in the field we go. The weeds in the garden have already been keeping me on my toes.
Bromus tectorum (aka Downy Brome or Cheat Grass) - Classified as a List C (manage if possible, but it's not going anywhere, anytime soon) noxious weed species in the state of Colorado, this is a cool-season winter annual grass originally from the Mediterranean. This plant starts growing months before most of our native grasses come out of dormancy. Very prolific seed production, steals all the spring water, forms monocultures, and old growth drastically increases fire danger throughout the North American west. Especially when plants aren't mature and haven't flowered yet, identifying plants can be tricky, and often relies on using a combination of physical characteristics, phenological (life cycle) knowledge, and familiarity with an ecosystem and it's history. The clump growth of fuzzy purplish tinged leaves, shallow root system, the fact that it was growing in late Feb/early March, and that this space had previous Cheat Grass occupation were all things that cued me to knowing this plant.
Bromus inermis (aka Smooth Brome) - Not classified as a noxious weed because it has agricultural value as forage for livestock but totally should be. Unlike Downy Brome, which primarily reproduces by seed, Smooth Brome primarily reproduces through rhizomes. This plant sends out underground roots where additional sprouts pop up. This is a sod-forming grass and it is a pain in the ass to get rid of once it's established. Most management of this species typically involves very intense mowing and herbicide applications, however we're trying to tarp it during its peak growth time, in order to exhaust the root system, so we'll see how it goes.
Some native plants I'm looking forward to: Allium textile - Textile Onion (left) and Cleomella serrulata - Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (right). I let the Bee Plant self-seed. It's going to be everywhere this year...
Spinal tap.
The world is on fire and a lot of not great things are currently happening. You don't have to contribute to the dumpster fire. It ain't much but grab a trash bag when you go on a walk in your neighborhood and pick up some trash. You gotta start somewhere.
Chrysemys picta - Western Painted Turtle. Turtle power!
