Hiker issues warning after noticing reckless behavior on famous pilgrimage: 'Please do not do this'

The Camino de Santiago journey, or the Way of St. James, is a Christian pilgrimage that takes pilgrims on a journey from various starting points to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The cathedral houses the tomb of the apostle St. James. 

One observant hiker on the Camino de Santiago journey noticed multiple pilgrims innocently plucking and keeping the feather stalks of an invasive species as they trekked along the path. 

Sharing photos of the plant to the r/CaminoDeSantiago subreddit, the original poster warned: "PSA, please do not transport invasive plants. … It may look pretty but these plants are horrible for native habitats."

The invasive species in question was the Cortaderia selloana, also known as pampas grass — a flowering grass native to countries of South America, according to a plant fact sheet by the University of California, Davis. The plant was introduced to Spain in the early 1800s, where it currently lives as an aggressive foreign plant species. 

Pampas grass grows quickly and densely in clumps or plumes. What contributes to their fast and aggressive growth is their self-seed production and ability to grow in various soil conditions.

One individual grass stand produces millions of seeds each year (located in the feathery part of the grass), which makes it extremely easy for the plant to reproduce and crowd out native plants in the region. When people pluck the seed stalks of the pampas grass, the plant can drop seeds and spread along the route as the hikers make their way to the final destination. 

In addition to its aggressive growth and impact on native plants, pampas grass disrupts the local ecosystem as wildlife and livestock find the grass undesirable and inaccessible because of its sharp-edged leaves. 

Preventing the spread of this invasive species begins with educating and increasing the public's awareness of the problem, as the OP has done. Recognizing this plant and avoiding disturbing it can limit its spread. 

Other communities have tackled invasive species by throwing "planting parties," where they replant large amounts of native plants to restore the land. 

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"Just want to add that if it's the only plant in the massing, it's probably invasive," one commenter wrote under the OP's post. 

Another hiker on the journey thanked the OP for the warning, writing: "I appreciate you posting this! Although I'll be walking the Frances, this is a good reminder for me because I am a bit of a magpie when it comes to pretty flora."

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