X
GO






Invasive Plants






 Back to Invasive Species

Invasive Plants

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word invasive as an aggressive spread, infiltrating healthy areas, infringing, and causing detriment.

Harming that which is good.

Across the Brazos River basin, there are plants that have entered our watershed, destroying ecosystems, stealing water, causing harm to native species, and hindering recreation.

Invasive species, which can be plants or animals, are not native to a particular area and can cause economic and ecological damage and impact human health.

When non-native species are introduced, they have few natural predators, competitors, or diseases that regulate their populations.

The Brazos River Authority’s Environmental Services Department regularly monitors different plants as a way of tracking the health of the Brazos River basin ecosystem.

When the results of this monitoring begin to show changes, the BRA, along with state and federal partners, work together to identify the cause of changes and make improvements that can aid the continued health and quality of the basin’s water supply.



Giant Salvinia

Giant Salvinia

The Giant Salvinia, or Salvinia molesta, is a floating fern from Brazil that was first identified in the Houston area in 1998.

Learn More

Water Hyacinth

Water Hyacinth

A large aquatic plant native to the Amazon basin that often has showy lavender flowers, the Water hyacinth is one of the fastest-growing invasives.

Learn More

Hydrilla

Hydrilla

This invasive species is named after Hydra, the nine-headed serpent of Greek mythology.

Learn More

Alligatorweed

Alligatorweed

Alligatorweed, or Alternanthera philoxeroides, forms thick mats that crowd out native aquatic vegetation, reduce water flow, lower dissolved oxygen levels, and increase sedimentation.

Learn More

Kudzu

Kudzu

Kudzu is a twining, trailing, mat-forming, ropelike vine that can stretch 100 feet.

Learn More

Chinese Tallow Tree

Chinese Tallow Tree

The Chinese Tallow Tree, or Triadica sebifera, is mainly known for its invasiveness in the United States and its tremendous reproductive potential.

Learn More

Saltcedar

Saltcedar

Also called tamarisk, saltcedar is not native to Texas and has invaded millions of acres of the Southwest, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Learn More