With its insane ability to self-seed and spread, the battle against spear grass is one Greater Victoria can鈥檛 win, says one area parks manager.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so out of control that we don鈥檛 have the resources to manage it,鈥� Chris Hyde-Lay, Oak Bay parks manager, told the Oak Bay News. That鈥檚 true across the region, up Island and in the Okanagan where a variety of spear grass species present danger to both pets and rare plants.
鈥淭hey often show up in areas where people love to walk with their dogs or disturb sites,鈥� Hyde-Lay said. 鈥淧eople and dogs help with its spread because they walk through this fields when it鈥檚 in seed, which is right now.鈥�
Spear grass is a generic term used to describe more than 60 types of the plant that produces sharp spears 鈥� the region struggles with are the native hordeum marinum, commonly called hare barley and invasives bromus rigidus (rip-gut brome) and bromus sterilis (barren brome).
The grasses grow a long, stiff, sometimes-barbed, projection at the top that disperses narrow grass seeds by snagging a moving object. If a snag goes undetected, the seed moves along the hair toward the skin and into the soft tissue.
鈥淧revention is key,鈥� Hyde-Lay said, suggesting pet owners to do daily checks and brush when they get home from a walk. 鈥淚 wish that we could more. I hate to say that it鈥檚 here to stay, but it鈥檚 here to stay.鈥�
Saanich, among the municipalities helping its residents battle the scourge dangerous to dogs, reiterates similar messaging 鈥� suggesting dog owners avoid long grass in general in late summer when grass seeds appear ripe.
鈥淪tick to the trails and walk with your pet on a leash. A good rule of thumb is, if you have grass seed in your socks after a walk your dog likely has seed on/in its coat,鈥� a fact sheet recommends. 鈥淐heck your pet's paws, coat, and eyes regularly from July to October after walks and look for signs of lesions or infection. If you do notice a swelling or cyst-like lump on your pet's body, it is recommended that you consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.鈥�
A second reason to attempt control is because the grasses can spawn 500 seeds from a single plant and overtake fields where rare plants struggle to survive.
Saanich attempts to control invasive bromus in Garry oak restoration sites, maintaining designated trails as well as regular mowing and trimming schedules. Oak Bay makes similar moves to take seed heads off before maturation.
Without overwhelming resources, it鈥檚 impossible to stay on top of. However, dedicated volunteer groups can make a difference, Hyde-Lay said. A consistent, persistent, long-running group of volunteers in Oak Bay鈥檚 park Anderson Hill Park has made a dent.
鈥淭he resources needed would be substantial to get any semblance of control,鈥� he said.
