Expert raises alarm about fast-spreading plant species taking over rural communities: 'Taking over millions of acres'

A botanist on TikTok highlighted an invasive species dominating California that not only has been choking out native plants but is highly flammable, too.

Jessie Dickson (@sacramentofoodforest) posted a video showing a hillside covered in blooming yellow flowers, which would be a beautiful sight if it weren't for the fact that the plant is actually invasive black mustard.

@sacramentofoodforest Invasive black mustard is taking over California and crashing native plant biodiversity. Like eucalyptus trees these invasive plants can be found on millions of acres from the Bay Area to SoCal that used to be native wildflowers. Black mustard is extremely flammable and can not handle droughts like California native plants. This leads to the fast moving deadly wildfires we see sadly every year. Invasive Mustard first arrived during the gold rush where they spread quickly. This spring don't doom the bloom and leave no trace when around native wildflower superblooms. But if vou see invasive mustard leave a trace. Smash that plant. And plant native. #mustard #california #invasivespecies #nativeplants #mullein #blackmustard #wildlife #conservation #rareplants #habitat #nativeplanttok #invasive #plants #eucalyptus #wildflower #dontdoomthebloom #leavenotrace #bayarea #sacramento #la #climateaction #native #biodiversity #indigenous #botany #flower #field #mothernature #fire #forestlife ♬ Echo Sax End - Caleb Arredondo

In his caption, Dickson explained that black mustard is taking over California and "crashing native plant biodiversity."

"This invasive species is taking over millions of acres in California," he says, adding that it "burns extremely easy too," like eucalyptus trees. He wrote in his caption that black mustard came to California during the Gold Rush and spread quickly.

The Biodiversity Atlas of Los Angeles noted that black mustard is hard to control because its seeds spread far and wide and can survive for 50 years underground, and the plant itself is believed to have allelopathic substances, which inhibit the growth of other plants. And despite being a fire hazard when it leaves behind dry and dead plants at the end of its growing season, the seeds are not killed by fire.

Removal must be done manually, especially before it releases its seeds, but it is still difficult to manage. Another issue is that black mustard cannot be safely controlled through means like herbicides, as it shares too many similarities to agricultural crops.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

Dickson discourages people from taking pictures of themselves lying in poppy fields, which end up damaged every spring by people striving for selfies. "This spring don't doom the bloom and leave no trace when around native wildflower superblooms," he wrote. "But if you see invasive mustard leave a trace. Smash that plant. And plant native."

Planting native species in your yard and garden is definitely preferable to something like black mustard, especially in fire-prone California, because native species tend to have stronger drought resistance than non-natives. Native plants are also generally easier to care for because they're suited to their environment and require fewer resources, like water, as well as being easier to maintain, meaning you can skip mowing, weeding, and adding fertilizer or pesticides to your lawn.

People in the comments were on Dickson's side in wanting to see black mustard gone. "Everytime people say it's beautiful I just sigh," one person wrote.

Another added: "That mustard sucks! Nothing eats it (at least cows goats and sheep don't). I doubt it burns when green."