Friends of Sausal Creek
A Scary Invader

by Joan Lohman

What is bright yellow, looks like Silly String or a mess of spaghetti created by Dr. Seuss, climbs trees, and can grow up to six inches a day? If you guessed the noxious, invasive weed called Japanese dodder, you can join the Friends of Sausal Creek dodder detectives. This highly dangerous invasive, which has the capability of strangling trees as well as garden plants, has been seen close to Sausal Creek. It could pose a bigger threat to the live oaks and other trees in our watershed than the ivy that is currently choking many live oak trees, according to Friends of Sausal Creek president Eleanor Dunn.

A little strand of dodder, which has no chlorophyll of its own and therefore suffocates its host plant, can start an entire colony. Japanese dodder has been spotted at the east end of Inyo Street at 27th Avenue, on the grounds of Salem Lutheran Home, and at several residences. The closest dodder site to the Metro readership is on Woodbine just off of Fruitvale. Take Fruitvale south; under 580, turn right at the first street, Woodbine. You will see bright yellow strands of spaghetti-like dodder in the evergreen trees behind the chain link fence to your right in the first block.

"This dodder is a very scary plant," says longtime Friends of Sausal Creek volunteer Karen Paulsell. "It can infest a wide variety of native plants, and that's scary for the watershed. But it can also affect a wide variety of ornamental and edible home garden and landscape plants. The only remedy is to cut away large portions of the infected host plant, which can absolutely ruin one's landscaping!"

Although invasive Japanese dodder has not yet attacked a live oak in Dimond Park, the dodder growing on Inyo Avenue was just a block away from the edge of the Sausal Creek watershed, according to Paulsell.

If you find dodder, says Paulsell, please contact Friends of Sausal Creek before removing it. It must be removed and discarded with specific techniques to avoid spreading it.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture advises:

Collect a sample. If flowers and/or seed pods are available, include them in the sample. They may be hard to see and require close observation. If flowers and/or seed pods are unavailable, collect one to two ft. of stem material. Collect parts that are typical of the infestation.

Include a sample of the host plant, especially with flowers and/or fruits.

Place the sample in a sealed plastic bag without water.

Label the sample with the collector name, date, and location.

Refrigerate sample if not sending immediately.

Send the sample to Fred Hrusa, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, 3294 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA 95832.

Call (916) 262-1100 with sampling procedure questions.

If your infestation is confirmed as Japanese dodder, send direct questions to Steve Schoenig, Weed Eradication Program Manager, e-mail sschoenig \@cdfa.ca.gov, or call (916) 654-0768.

For more information about Japanese dodder, visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/ipc/noxweedinfo/noxweedinfo_jdodder.htm.