In recent decades, Arizonans have witnessed a dramatic spread of invasive plants across our land. Recognized as a threat for many years to forests, ranches, and farms, we must now face the fact that invasive plant populations have invaded our city streets and residential neighborhoods. Questions now come pouring in to Cooperative Extension Offices, local nurseries, and Master Gardeners about strategies for dealing with invasive plants. Fortunately, government agencies, civic groups, and private citizens are stepping up to help curb this out-of-control growth.
This website is a response to the demonstrated need for a readily accessible, user-friendly, and trustworthy source of information about invasive plants designed specifically for residents of northern Arizona. The site has been created primarily by these foure self-professed “Weed Warriors”:
- Hattie Braun, Director, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Coconino County
- Elise Gornish, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Specialist
- Dorothy Lamm, Coconino Master Gardener and Member of the Arizona Native Plant Society
- Patti Van Tuyl, Coconino Master Gardener and Member of the Arizona Native Plant Society
In January 2015, a group of Master Gardeners and members of the Arizona Native Plant Society held an all-day workshop to help gather information about plants that pose the greatest threat in residential areas of nothern counties. The information they recorded about the plants, strategies for controlling them, and resources to help deliver this information to the public laid the foundation for this website. In 2024, southern Arizona plants were included in the site.
The website relies on the work of many dedicated botanists who spend countless hours in the field locating, collecting, photographing, and identifying Arizona plants. Also indispensable are the web-based image collections such as SEINet, Bugwood.org, Invasive.org, and Richard Old's gallery at weed-id.com, which make a rich array of botanical images available for public education.
Finally, we thank Kirstin Phillips and Ben Tully for meticulously editing each webpage for content and style.