California Sea Grant College Program

Arundo donax is a cane-like, towering weed that has gained notoriety for its hearty resistance to chemical spraying and remarkable ability to become the dominant plant in low-lying areas such as the Santa Ana, Santa Margarita, Santa Clara, and Tijuana river banks. By displacing native plants, Arundo and other invasive grasses, such as Spartina alterniflora, not only dramatically alter wild landscapes but also displace animal life.The federally protected least Bell’s vireo, for instance, cannot nest in Arundo.