Southeast Asia and Indomalaya (Japan, southern China, Viet Nam,
Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaya, Myanmar (Burma), Bhutan, Nepal, and eastern
Burma reed, also known as
silk reed, cane grass, and false reed, is a tall, perennial, large-plumed
grass that grows in clumps in sunny upland areas. Stems, including the flower
stalks are from 3 to 15 feet in height, depending on soil and moisture conditions.
The leaves are 8 to 10 inches long and hairless, except for a single line
of horizontal hairs at the juncture of the upper and lower portions of the
leaf. Stems are approximately ½ inch in width, are round, solid, and
have nodes (stem-leaf junctures) every 3 to 5 inches along the stem. The
flower plumes, which can be up to 3 feet long, are composed of many hundreds
of tiny flowers and have a shimmery, silky appearance. Flowering occurs in
April and October, each clump producing an average of forty stalks and twelve
to twenty flowering plumes. Burma reed resembles several other tall grasses,
including common reed (Phragmites communis), giant
reed (Arundo donax), pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)
and sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum).
Burma reed damages
native ecosystems by crowding and shading out understory plant species and
by creating conditions for extremely hot and destructive wildfires. In southern
Florida (Miami-Dade County), it is a serious threat to the globally imperiled
pine rocklands community whose pine canopy was largely destroyed in 1992
by Hurricane Andrew. Burma reed is a highly combustible fuel source because
of its overall plant mass, its large feathery flower plumes, and the dense,
hay-like leaf litter it produces. This hay-like litter enhances the fire's
movement along the ground, while the flower plumes carry the flames high
into the air. With the aid of winds, these plumes often detach and fly through
the air like torches, providing the potential for additional spread. Photographs of
its ignition during a wildfire show flames leaping over 30 feet high, threatening
nearby tree canopies.
IN THE UNITED STATES
Burma reed is found throughout southern Florida in
the counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Lee, and Collier, and
the Florida Keys.
HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES
native range, which is characterized by a warm, subtropical climate, Burma
reed occurs in bogs, in open savannahs, on upland cliffs, and along forest
and road edges, and thrives from sea level to altitudes of 6,500 feet. In
the U.S., Burma reed initially colonizes the margins of roadways, fields,
and forests, from which it can spread to undisturbed areas. The ability of
Burma reed to survive at high altitudes in its native range indicates a tolerance
to cold and the potential for it to spread further north in the U.S.
Burma reed was first introduced
into the United States in 1916 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, possibly
to investigate its potential as an ornamental plant. It was grown in a test
garden in Coconut Grove, Florida, from which it escaped and spread. By 1990,
it had become established in the wild as far as 30 miles from Coconut Grove
and along disturbed edges throughout Miami-Dade County. Burma reed has no
known economic value and, in Bhutan, is reported to be poisonous to buffalo.
BIOLOGY & SPREAD
Burma reed reproduces
by seed and through underground stems called rhizomes. Burma reed plants
flower twice each year, producing hundreds of thousands of tiny seeds that
are dispersed by the wind. New clumps of Burma reed emerge from rhizomes
that may be embedded in sand, soil, or rubble. Seeds and rhizomes are also
transported inadvertently in limestone rock from infested quarries that is
carried by train from Miami-Dade County, Florida to concrete manufacturers
throughout the southeastern United States. This unintentional movement of
Burma reed material allows it to invade new sites in Florida and and adjacent
states near limestone distribution centers.
Restoration of sites
infested with Burma reed requires a long term commitment to ensure effective
control and to allow native vegetation to become established. Burma reed's
deep roots make mechanical removal an extremely labor intensive and costly
undertaking and causes extensive disturbance to the soil. A more effective
management approach involves a combination of cutting or prescribed burning,
followed by application of herbicides. After cutting, mowing or burning Burma
reed plants down to the ground, a systemic herbicide like glyphosate, mixed
with an acidic surfactant (trade name: Roundup Pro®®) can be made to prevent
new growth. Repeat treatment is likely to be necessary for a couple of years,
until seed and rhizome stores are exhausted.
NOTE: Burning of Burma reed vegetation requires
a special permit and should not be undertaken without training, preparation
and assistance. Because Burma reed is an extremely flammable plant, fires
may quickly get out of hand.
A successful burn of Burma reed reduces the
plantís massive stalks to ash, eliminating the cost of vegetation removal.
Conveniently, because Burma reed is the first plant to resprout following
a fire, it can be sprayed freely with little concern about non-target kills.
It should be noted that burning, by itself, whether through prescribed or
natural wildfires, may enhance the growth and spread of Burma reed if not
followed up with chemical or mechanical control.
In areas where Burma reed is dispersed among
desirable native vegetaion, individual plants can be cut at the base using
a steel blade (e.g., Weed Whacker) and the remaining portions sprayed with
Roundup Pro®® to prevent new growth. Resprouts should be treated with a second
herbicide application to the new growth. This method requires highly qualified
applicators who can target the herbicide to avoid damage to native plants,
and may not be cost effective for extensive infestations.
USE PESTICIDES WISELY: ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE PESTICIDE LABEL CAREFULLY, FOLLOW ALL MIXING AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND WEAR ALL RECOMMENDED PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR AND CLOTHING. CONTACT YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PESTICIDE USE REQUIREMENTS, RESTRICTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS.
NOTICE: MENTION OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS ON THIS WEB SITE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT OF ANY MATERIAL.
For more information on
the management of Burma Reed, please contact:
SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE PLANTS
- Renee Rasha, Palm Beach County Department
of Environmental Resources Management; rrasha at co.palm-beach.fl.us
- The Nature Conservancy, Florida Museum of Natural
History, Gainesville, Fla. (352-846-5949)
grasses and other plants are available that can be substituted for Burma reed,
including Fakahatchee grass (Tripsacum dactyloides),
switch grass (Panicum virgatum), and Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia
capillaris). In the pine rocklands, the following grasses are recommended:
bluestem (Schizachrium rhizomatum); wire bluestem (Schizachyrium
gracile); wiregrass (Aristica stricta); Florida mock gamagrass
(Tripsacum floridanum). In coastal uplands or disturbed sites, areas
could be enhanced with pinewoods finger grass (Eustachys petraea).
Renee Rasha, Environmental Analyst, Palm Beach
County Department of Environmental Resources Management, West Palm Beach,
Jil M. Swearingen, National Park Service,
Joe Maguire, Miami Dade County Natural Areas
Photograph of fire by S. Demetropoulos
courtesy of Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
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