A botanist took to TikTok to complain about an invasive species appearing in his area.
TikToker Jessie Dickinson (@sacramentofoodforest) shared a video in which he called out the presence of horehound in the Oak Woodland next to the American River in Sacramento.
@sacramentofoodforest Removing invasive plants from the wild at the Sacramento San Joaquin delta means you are protecting a native habitat that endangered species like chinook salmon and the California hibiscus depend on to not go extinct. Invasive plants are a sign of land that was once a intact native habitat before colonization. One of the most common invasive species you will find near water in sacramento is the invasive mint , horehound. Horehound first arrived in California during the gold rush. Early settlers used horehound as a plant remendy for colds and coughs. Sadly it has now taken over endangered species habitats all over the state. Like bamboo this plant spreads like wildfire with runner roots. When foraging a invasive plant dont take a leaf, rip out the entire plant and guerrilla garden native wildflowers where the invasives were. Removing invasive plants like mint and eucalyptus is the easiest way to help save the environment and end the native extinction crisis. Everyone knows about guerrilla gardening , its time to step up as a community. And begin the new movement, guerrilla restoration. Plant native. #guerrillagardening #endangeredspecies #california #invasivespecies #mint #guerrilla #restoration #rareplants #foraging #invasiveplants #waterislife #horehound #mullein #gardening101 #sacramento #climateaction #river #creek #woodland #ecosystem #wildflower #endangered #flower #conservation #invasivespeciesremoval #nativeplants #native #plantlover #nativeplanttok #indigenous #botany #nativehabitatproject #eucalyptus #delta #weeding ♬ Need 2 - Pinegrove
"One of the most common invasive species you will find near water in Sacramento is the invasive mint, horehound," he said in the caption.
Horehound was brought to the United States by colonists in the 18th century as a cultivated herb, and it was believed to escape cultivation and become invasive for the first time in 1833 in California, according to the Native Plant Trust. It has been touted as a cough suppressant for centuries and gained popularity as an ingredient in cough drops.
As Dickinson points out, the big problem with horehound is how it spreads. Much like its relative, mint, once it's in an area, it spreads incredibly aggressively, outcompeting native plants and covering massive areas quickly. It reproduces via rhizomes, which are underground stems that produce new shoots and roots, meaning the plant can quickly multiply if left unchecked and untended.
"If you see it, foragers," Dickinson said, "you want to use it to make cough drops, rip it up. Don't take a leaf, take the whole thing."
Spreading via rhizome makes controlling horehound tricky. Because the seeds are underground and can detach from the rest of the plant, if you don't get all of the rhizomes out when you pull it, horehound will just come back and continue to spread.
Commenters shared in Dickinson's frustration.
"It spreads so fast and had terrible burrs after seeding I hate it," one commenter said.
"Oh wow I didn't know horehound was invasive ty," said another.
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Absolutely 💯 "Be sure to check back in," said a third, as "rhizomes can get left behind after pulling a plant and multiply. It's one of the things that make this plant so difficult."
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