Stop Stinknet in Pima County
Stinknet is an alarming invasive plant which threatens our communities by destroying biodiversity with its aggressive growth, causing fires when the plants dry and emitting toxic gases when burned.
Only YOU can help us stop the spread
Find it. Remove it. Report it.
ACT NOW
Find it
- Look out for dark green, pungeant, carrot-like leaves and yellow flowers
- Watch for it: while driving (safely,) when watching your dog, or hiking
- Find it in construction sites, abandoned lots, medians, alleys and other disturbed areas
Remove it
- Dig all plants out from the roots
- Put flowering plants into a bag to prevent seed spread
- Stinknet is NOT toxic to most people, but wear gloves/maks if you prefer, or know you have sensitive skin or lungs
EVENTS ALERT!
Want to help, but looking for a group? Check out the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum’s volunteer page for opportunities to pull stinknet with others and learn more from experts! Stinknet removal season goes from February to around April.
NOTE: Not all events by the Desert Museum are stinknet-related.
HOW TO ID?
Stinknet, Oncosiphon pilulifer gets its name from the pungent smell it produces.
Spherical yellow to gold flowers without petals
Dark green carrot-like leaves with pungent odor and no hairs
Flowers range in size from a quarter to half inch like a pencil eraser
Dried plant has bronze leaves with rusty, tan flowers
Plant can be anywhere from 2 inches to 2 feet tall growing as a singular plant, or large, wide bush
Look Alikes
Photo: Sue Carnahan
STINKNET
- Strong smelling, netlike leaves
- Spherical, yellow flowers without petals
Photo: Ivar Leidus
PINEAPPLE WEED
- Pineapple-scented
- Pointed-cone-shaped greenish flowers
Photo: Sue Carnahan
STINKNET
- Pleasant, mild scent
- Golden-yellow flowers with petals
- Can look like stinknet from afar
Photo: Max Licher
WESTERN TANSY-MUSTARD
- Long leaves covered in hairs
- Flower color is yellow to white with petals
Photo: Max Licher
AMERICAN WILD CARROT
- Leaves distinguished from stinknet by mild scent and small hairs
- White to cream bunches of flowers
Photo: Sue Carnahan
COMMON GROUNDSEL
- Irregular, lobed leaves
- Yellow flower heads
THE THREAT
Stinknet creates “drifts that can cover an entire landscape and choke native plants”
Michael Chandler in High Country News
Large infestations crowd out native wildflowers!
Stinknet can grow in a wide variety of places, including backyards, desert riparian areas, sidewalks, and disturbed or undisturbed soil. Infestations spread rapidly, growing in dense clusters easily displacing native vegetation. Large infestations are extremely difficult to eliminate. Reporting and removing early is essential.
Photo credit: Zach Duncan
Dried plants become a fire hazard!
After the growing season, the plant dries, fueling fires and suppressing native wildflower blooms. It forms dense, highly flammable infestations that release an intensely acrid smoke when burned. During growth, the plants can cause severe allergic reactions, both dermal and respiratory.
HOW WE RESPOND
COORDINATION
What: Host regular meetings to assess the more pressing issues regarding stinknet knowledge, infestations, and best practices in stinknet removal through the Stinknet Working Group
Why: Combine the strengths of organizations with different expertise and resources to coordinate attacks to stop the spread of stinknet in Pima County
Who: Environmental non-profits and land management agencies at the federal, state and local level
SURVEYING
What: Hiking, driving, biking or walking by yourself or in a group to know where stinknet is growing in our community
Why: We can only stop stinknet if everyone is looking. There are insufficient professionals to scour every possible area, so we need everybody to search and report!
Who: Non-profit professional crews, organized volunteer groups and YOU and any other individual
REMOVAL
Mechanical/Physical
What: Removing stinknet physically by hand or with tools like hula ho or pick making sure to uproot entire plant
Why: Accessible, non-toxic means of removing small to medium sized patches of stinknet in sensitive sites with large groups
Who: Professional crews, federal land agencies, non-profit organizations, local government, organized volunteer crews and good samaritans like you!
Chemical/Herbicide
What: Treating large stinknet patches by spraying herbicides which kill the plant either by moving through the whole plant, or by “contact,” by killing the leaves they touch
Why: Stinknet covers hundreds of acres of land. A skilled team of 10 people can easily cover 5 acres in a day which could take weeks for manual removal.
Who: ONLY Professional crews guided by a licensed pesticide applicator from Tucson Bird Alliance, the NPS, or Pima County
COLLABORATORS
