DETROIT – Those tall tan plants that you see in many places around Michigan act like they belong there, but they don't.
They're called phragmites. And while their name is hard to spell and say, the dense weeds are even harder to fight. They are a common reed, a perennial and wetland grass that can grow to 15 feet in height.
Dan Pelz used to enjoy looking out to a large pond that he created on his property in Clay Township, but all that is left now is a field of phragmites.
"It's so thick and so tall. You lose the beauty of the pond. I mean, it's gone," Pelz said.
He's tried to get rid of the invaders by cutting them down with a weed whacker.
"It would grow right back again," Pelz said.
Experts say 14 percent of Clay Township is covered in phragmites, making it the worst infestation in the state. Phragmites can be described as the botanical version of Asian carp. When it takes hold, little room is left for any other forms of life.
Ducks Unlimited, an organization that restores duck habitats, says the weeds ruin prime nesting areas.
"These stems just don't provide any structure for nesting habitat at all. Birds just can't get into it and hide and get shelter, or areas where they need to rest and roost, in these phragmites. It's just so invasive," said Jason Hill, a biologist with Ducks Unlimited.
Phragmites also obstruct drivers' views and create fire hazards. In 2012, a large phragmite fire near Great Lakes Crossing outlets forced the closure of ramps along Interstate 75.
According to the Great Lakes Commission, ballast water from European ships brough the weeds here in the 19th century. More recently, falling water levels have created more mud, which is where the weeds thrive.
"It's really started taking off in the Great Lakes in the last 20 years or so," commission project manager Heath Braun said. "Phragmites spread both by roots and rhizomes, so it spreads underground, as well as by seed. And it has a prolific seed head. There are lots of seeds on that plant, and so it spreads widely that way."
What can be done?
Controlled burns, herbicide sprays and mowing, experts say.
Clay Township Phragmites Management Advisory Board Chairman Bob Williams is helping lead the charge to control the weeds.
"With chemicals at the right time of the year and the right chemicals, those that are safe around water, we can teach homeowners how to get rid of their phragmites," Williams said.
There has been some success in eliminating the weeds from certain areas, such as Pointe Aux Peaux and St. John's Marsh in St. Clair County. And there may be another weapon on the horizon: a European moth. Researchers at Cornell University say its larvae have an appetite for phragmites.
Resource: Michigan DEQ on phragmites