The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry (ACF) issued an urgent warning on Thursday about the invasive Japanese Stiltgrass spreading across the state, which has the potential to destroy forests, degrade soil, and increase wildfire risks.
“Japanese Stiltgrass is one of the most aggressive invasive plants we’ve seen in Maine,” said DACF State Horticulturalist Gary Fish.
“It crowds out native species, alters the natural balance of our forests, and leaves behind dry fuel that makes our woodlands more vulnerable to fire. We need the public’s help to find and report it before it spreads further,” he added.
The plant, first detected in Maine in 2020, has now spread to Sagadahoc and York counties, with a new patch discovered in York this month.
Japanese Stiltgrass releases chemicals into the soil that prevent native plants from growing, replaces the vegetation on trail sides, wetlands, and forests, and increases wildfire risk through its dry dead stems.
According to the ACF, the plant typically stands between one and three feet tall and can produce thousands of seeds, which can spread on boots, tires, animals, and equipment like lawn mowers.
The grass has a distinctive silver stripe down the middle that distinguishes it from other similar-looking species of non-invasive grass.
Mainers are urged to document any sightings of the grass and report them to the ACF, as well as to take action to remove it.
To safely remove the grass, Mainers should pull it up by its roots rather than using a lawn mower, before seeds form in mid-September. Uprooted plants should be sealed in plastic bags and disposed of rather than composted.
