Smelly, invasive 'stinknet' plant closes part of Arizona national monument
Take an invasive plant, already a threat to ecosystems, and add insult to injury: Stinknet, which smells as pleasant as it sounds, has forced the temporary closure of a picnic area at Arizona's Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
Take an invasive plant, already a threat to ecosystems, and add insult to injury: Stinknet, which smells as pleasant as it sounds, has forced the temporary closure of a picnic area at Arizona's Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
The plant, also known as globe chamomile, smells like turpentine when it is crushed, and it can cause respiratory or allergic reactions, according to the University of Arizona.
The plant’s presence by the picnic area in Casa Grande Ruins National Monument means part of the monument will be closed until a solution is found, the monument staff announced Wednesday.
The invasive plant, which has already taken root in the Phoenix area, was first found and collected in the state in 1997, according to the university.
The plant then spread south along the Interstate 10 corridor and into Pinal County, which is where the national monument is.
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