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­While learning about native plants, one quickly finds the need to learn more about non-
native weed species. Upon looking, you see them every day. Weeds can encroach on native 
plantings, prairies, roadsides, and disturbed places. Sometimes this leads people to believe 
the plants they pass by daily are naturally native.
Introduced, Adapted, Weeds
Become aware of the terms introduced, indigenized, adapted or improved varieties of 
plants, flowers and grasses. These words are often used to describe alien plants that may be 
suited, persist, or thrive in our environment. These plants may have no local or natural 
predators in their new homes. They may not serve much, if any, beneficial purpose in the 
ecological food web. This point is important, especially on the lower trophic levels where 
the insects reside. All songbirds feed their young insects. But insects are highly selective 
about their host plants and have no use for most non-natives. These weeds may have 
potential to spread out of control. Mandated by Legislative House Bill 338, the Texas Dept 
of Agriculture was assigned as the state’s authority to classify plant species as noxious or 
invasive. According to US Federal Executive Order 13112 of Feb. 03, 1999, “Invasive 
species means an alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or 
environmental harm or harm to human health.”
Perennial warm season grasses are widely used in livestock forage production. The 
majority of native grasslands around and east of the 98th to the 100th meridian (east of I-35) 
have been converted to non-native introductions of improved pastures of alien grasses. 
These weeds generate billions of dollars of economic “benefit” for farmers & ranchers, 
mostly in the food production of beef and dairy cattle. Coastal bermuda (an African grass) 
and it’s many varieties, johnsongrass, kleingrass, bahiagrass, buffelgrass and oldworld 
Can You Identify
Common Weeds?
Let’s Work Together to Prevent Their Spread
Native Texas Coastal Prairie © John Magera
Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge 
Protects  ~10,000 acres of Coastal Prairie

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