If the FBI had a most wanted poster for weeds, chances are torpedo grass (aka bullet grass and creeping panic) would make the cut. Introduced as a forage crop for cattle when J. Edgar Hoover was just a lad, it has become one of the worst invasive plants in the United States. Found across the urban landscape, it really thrives around water – so much so that it is found in most of the public waters in Florida. This tall perennial grass does produce seeds, but its real way of invasion is through its pointed and rigid rhizomes – which is where it gets its name. The rhizomes of torpedo grass are like the Hydra – when cut, they grow back. This ability to regenerate make torpedo grass hard to defeat. For small areas hand weeding can work if you carefully remove *all* of the plant. Herbicides are the best method to contain this public enemy.

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