Dr. Karen Hickman sits down with John Weir, Dr. Laura Goodman, and Dr. Mark Turner to talk invasive plants across the Great Plains—what’s here, what’s coming, and why our best defense often starts with a clean pickup, a better plant choice, and a tighter contract.
We walk through Callery/Bradford pear’s “overnight” takeover, Old World bluestem’s misnamed reputation, and how sericea, Johnson grass, privet, kudzu, honeysuckle, tree-of-heaven, Siberian elm and others move from roadsides to rangeland.
You’ll hear field-tested tips: early detection/rapid response, where to scout first (gates, pens, ditches), what to tell pipeline and oilfield crews about decontamination, how hay can import problems after wildfire, and why tall, highly productive grasses (miscanthus, giant reed/cane, phragmites) pose wildfire risks on the urban–rural edge.
We wrap with Oklahoma’s watch lists, better native alternatives (hello, Mexican plum), and a clear message—don’t plant your problems.
Top 10 takeaways
- Callery/Bradford pear spreads fast once cross-pollinating varieties arrive—two fallow years can become a thicket.
- Old World bluestem rides roads and rights-of-way; “bluestem” naming drives confusion with natives.
- Johnson grass, sericea, privet, honeysuckle, kudzu, tree-of-heaven, Siberian elm remain priority species to control.
- Focus early detection at high-traffic nodes: gates, pens, ditches, well pads, pipeline corridors.
- Require equipment decontamination (power-wash, mud removal) in contracts with oil & gas, utility, and construction crews.
- Be cautious with hay imports, especially after wildfire—weed seeds (and insects) ride along.
- Avoid planting tall, high-biomass ornamentals (miscanthus, giant reed/cane, phragmites) near homes—wildfire risk.
- Prefer native alternatives (e.g., Mexican plum instead of Callery pear); many ornamentals marketed as “sterile” aren’t.
- Oklahoma needs ; enforcement without budget won’t work.