List of Species that are “Cultivated and Escaped”

Total Records Found: 49
SpeciesPhotoRecordsAnnotationFamilyCommonNameComments
Alhagi maurorum [Alhagi camelorum] [Alhagi pseudalhagi] Fabaceae camel thorn NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. For camel thorn there are two locations in the Watershed: N and NE of Center, and N of Hooper (1955-1958, Saguache Co). These plants may have been cultivated as ornamentals. Since then there has been no indication that the exotic persists in the Watershed, although it is often listed as invasive for the region. It is on Colorado's A list of "noxious weeds." In a scattered fashion, in fields, rocky hillsides, road sides, etc., it has nativized down the Rio Grande drainage in New Mexico to the Mexican border.
Amorpha fruticosa [Amorpha arizonica] [Amorpha occidentalis] Fabaceae false indigo, leadplant NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. For the Watershed, there is only one record of leadplant, from Gilmore Ranch, about 5 miles WSW of Alamosa, in a cultivated field (1985). This may have been an escaped ornamental. The plant is native, however, and has been found the length of the Rio Grande drainage in New Mexico, up to and including Taos Co. It follows the drainage, spottily, down to the Gulf. Its USA distribution is concentrated in the Plains, the Midwest, and the South, with adventive occurrences in nearly every other state.
Anchusa azurea [Anchusa italica] Boraginaceae Italian bugloss, alkanet NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. Anchusa officinalis has been recorded from one Watershed location, collected in 1956 at “Grimwood Place,” between Blanca and Fort Garland (Costilla Co). A perennial, this exotic is sometimes cultivated as a garden flower, and is considered a noxious weed in the Pacific Northwest, but it doesn’t seem to have persisted in the Watershed. It has escaped, here and there, around the more temperate regions of the USA. Incidentally, the common name, "bugloss," has a long heritage, deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots, through Greek (bous + glössa = ox-tongued), Latin, and Middle French.
Apium graveolens Apiaceae celery NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. Cultivated celery sometimes escapes, but there is only one record of that in the Watershed, found in a house plot in Conejos (1984), with no indication that it persisted. It has been recorded as adventive here and there down the Rio Grande drainage to the Gulf.
Artemisia dracunculus [Artemisia dracunculina] [Artemisia dracunculoides] [Artemisia glauca] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte, within town limits, beside street, 20 July 2020 Asteraceae wild tarragon, wormwood, dragon sagewort Wormwood is a very common artemisia in the Watershed, from basin to subalpine, often found on disturbed ground—unpaved back alleys, road sides, trail sides, etc. Artemisia dracunculus is not recorded from the Culebras of the Watershed but is likely present there, since it has often been collected from the Rio Grande Cristos of New Mexico. It is present in every state west of the Mississippi River, and follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico and a little past the Big Bend county of Texas. By the way, don't expect wild tarragon to have the aroma and taste of cultivated or French tarragon (A. dracunculus var. sativa), which is grown from root stock since its flowers are sterile.
Brassica juncea Brassicaceae Indian mustard, brown mustard NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. For brown mustard there are two Watershed vouchered occurrences: one found by Ramaley in 1935 along the Conejos River; the other found roadside 5 miles NWN of Alamosa in 1985. Ackerfield shows Saguache Co, with no vouchers in SEINet. Brown mustard has been cultivated for culinary purposes and around Colorado is known to escape and persist. Such escapes have been recorded, in a very scattered way, down the Rio Grande drainage almost to the Gulf of Mexico.
Brassica rapa [Brassica campestris] [Sinapsis pekinensis] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, CO yard of house in Del Norte 31 July 2022 Brassicaceae field mustard, rapeseed There are five locations for rapeseed around the Basin, all by cultivated fields or homesteads. The sixth is a 2022 photorecord from a yard in Del Norte, perhaps of a plant deriving from a seed packet (if so, it would have persisted for six years). Field mustard is not much cultivated in the Valley any more. It escapes more frequently than Brassica napus, and occurrences have been noted in all USA states, several in the Rio Grande drainage close to the Gulf of Mexico. The specific epithet (rapa) and common name (rapeseed), by the way, derive from the Latin word for turnip, rapa.
Cannabis sativa Cannabaceae hemp, marijuana NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. Marijuana is now being cultivated legally in open fields in the Valley and escaped plants have been observed growing beside them. Allred et al. (2020) show records from scattered counties in New Mexico (including Rio Arriba, contingent with Colorado), but observe that the plants are "generally not persisting. Similar occurrences have been observed in every USA state. The political brouhaha surrounding the legalization of marijuana should not eclipse the diversity of human uses of this amazing plant (it was cultivated as early as the Neolithic), for instance in making rope, nets, clothing, and paper, or generating hemp milk and biofuels.
Caragana arborescens YES Mary E. McDonald: Conejos Co, Hicks Canyon by old homestead, 18 July 2014 (in fruit), 12 June 2015 (in flower) Fabaceae Siberian pea, Sibernian pea shrub For Siberian pea there are five Watershed records, all likely cultivated plantings or escapes: Adams State campus (1951); near Terrace Reservoir, “apparently planted” by CCC ditch builders (1982); Baca NWR (2006); Blanca Wetlands (2004); and near an old homestead in Hicks Canyon, Conejos Co (2015). This last, a photorecord, would add Conejos to the counties indicated in Ackerfield (2022) and BONAP (2022). The USA range is represented by scattered locations in the Rocky Mountains and across the northern third of the country. The plant may well be considered invasive in the wetter and colder regions of the USA, but there is no evidence of that in the Watershed. An occurrence in Santa Fe Co, New Mexico marks the southernmost point of the USA distribution and of the Rio Grande drainage. (The humorous comment on "Siberian pea" in Allred et al. II, p. 420, 2020 is worth reading.)
Clematis orientalis YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Monte Vista, Dos Rios Restaurant 18 July 2013; Del Norte street side Aug 2015 to 29 Sept 2022 Ranunculaceae oriental clematis, orangepeel clematis Orange-peel clematis is a cultivated exotic beginning to appear in towns around the Valley (e.g., Alamosa, Monte Vista, Del Norte). The plant needs physical support. For instance the one in Del Norte is clinging to a large Ericameria nauseosa plant. It has persisted for eight seasons (2014-2022). Note that the Del Norte and Monte Vista photorecords would add Rio Grande to counties indicated in Ackerfield (2022) and BONAP (2022). For the USA distribution BONAP shows a scattering of records from 7 western USA states. So far the Rio Grande Co locations are the farthest south in the Rio Grande drainage. New Mexico has one old record (1899) that probably did not persist. Clematis orientalis is on Colorado's B list of "noxious weeds."
Coreopsis tinctoria [Coreopsis cardaminifolia] [Calliopsis cardaminifolia] etc. Asteraceae garden tickweed, Plains ocreopsis, calliopsis NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. For garden tickweed there is only one vouchered location, within the town limits of Blanca at the base of Mt. Blanca (Costilla Co, 2001). BONAP also shows Alamosa Co, with no vouchers in SEINet. It is often cultivated in home gardens. Coreopsis tinctoria may be native to the Great Plains, the Pacific Northwest, and Texas, and adventitious in all other states of the USA, excluding Nevada but including Colorado. There are scattered records from the Rio Grande drainage in New Mexico, in ditches and alkaline playas, and the plant's presence grows more and more wide spread through Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.
Echinocystis lobata [Micrampelis lobata] Cucurbitaceae wild cucumber NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. Wild cucumber was collected four times from the town of Alamosa, 1932-1985, in yards and along the floodplain of the Rio Grande. A native species, Echinocystis lobata has been cultivated as an ornamental and escaped back into the wild, especially in the Colorado Front Range and on east in the northern half of the USA. In the Rio Grande drainage of New Mexico it is present only in Rio Arriba and Taos counties.
Elaeagnus angustifolia YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte street side 4 June 2020 Caprifoliaceae Russian olive In the Watershed the exotic Russian olive was frequently cultivated as a yard tree, fence row, and wind break, and it often escaped. Mature trees can be found in every town in the Valley, and by many farm houses. (Ackerfield shows Costilla Co, with no vouchers in SEINet.) As of Dec 2002, the state of Colorado officially banned the sale of Elaeagnus angustifolia, arguing that it is a plant, for some people an allergen, that escapes and crowds out native plants. The Colorado Department of Agriculture had estimated that there were 8,000 acres of escaped trees in the state, but nothing like that degree of invasion occurs in the Watershed. It is recorded from every USA state. It follows the Rio Grande drainage in New Mexico to the tip of west Texas but no farther. It is on Colorado's B list of "noxious weeds."
Fraxinus americana [Fraxinus biltmoreana] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte, yards 2018-2022 Oleaceae American ash Although American ash is native to the USA east of the Plains, it is present in some towns of the Valley (e.g., Del Norte) only as a cultivated tree, so far with no evidence of spreading. BONAP shows Fraxinus americana in Jeff Davis Co, Texas, with no vouchers in SEINet. If that location lies within the Rio Grande drainage, it may represent the only occurrence of the tree, not cultivated, in the drainage.
Gaillardia aristata YES Pandarollie: Conejos Co, above La Jara Creek 25 km southwest of La Jara, July 2021 Asteraceae blanketflower For this native blanketflower, there are five records scattered around the Watershed in the Basin and foothills. Specimens within city limits (e.g., the ghost town of Russell, west of La Veta pass, 1957; South Fork, 2021; Creede, 2023, iNaturalist observation #173451799) may be escapes of cultivated varieties, but other locations suggest natives (e.g., Medano Creek in the north Cristos, 1984; Shaw springs north of Del Norte, 2003; above La Jara Creek, west of Capulin, 2021, iNaturalist observation #86940125). Ackerfield (2015) and BONAP (2022) show Alamosa Co, with no vouchers in SEINet. The USA distribution is the Rocky Mountains and states W of the Mississippi bordering Canada. There are a few scattered records from New Mexico, but the species does not continue in the Rio Grande drainage farther south.
Genista lydia Yes Richard Haswell: Saguache Co, top of Poncha pass by Hwy 285, 8 June 2023 Fabaceae Lydian broom, dwarf broom, common woadwaxen Genista lydia is native to the east Mediterranean countries, and cultivated and sold in garden stores in the USA. The only recorded occurrence in the Watershed (indeed, in all of Colorado) is a plant 20 meters or so from Hwy 285 at the top of Poncha pass (Saguache Co, 8 June 2023). This may be an escape or a highway restoration plant. Note that the determination of G. lydia is not verified, and that the plant may be one of several other species of exotic Genista. BONAP shows a number of species escaped mainly in the West coast states, none in the Intermountain or Rockies states. Whether this plant will persist remains to be seen.
Gypsophila elegans YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande, Del Norte house garden 27 Sept 2017—26 Sept 2020 Caryophyllaceae baby’s breath Baby's breath is a cultivated exotic that been used in highway reseeding projects and often as part of flower seed packets. It has escaped in other parts of Colorado (and the USA), but whether it has done so and persisted in the Watershed needs verification. The photorecords of Gypsophila elegans (Del Norte, 2017-2020) are of a seed-packet plant that bloomed in 2016 and persisted as a volunteer for four more years, in and around a flower garden in Del Norte. There are no other records of it in the USA Rio Grande drainage. Note that this species is not the "gyp" used by florists in flower bouquets, Gypsophila paniculata, which also has been recorded as escaping in the Watershed.
Gypsophila scorzonerifolia YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte street embankment 11 Sept 2016 Yes Caryophyllaceae garden baby’s breath The 2016 Del Norte photorecord of Gypsophila scorzonerifolia (Rio Grande Co), no doubt an escape, is the only record of this cultivated exotic in the Watershed. The plant did not persist at the location. There are no other records of it in the USA Rio Grande drainage. BONAP shows USA records of escapes scattered in a number of Western states and around the Great Lakes. For more photographs and comment, click "yes" in the Annotation field below.
Helianthus annuus [Helianthus aridus] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, South Fork vacant lot 28 July 2013; Del Norte private yard 17 Sept 2020 Asteraceae common sunflower Around the Watershed, common sunflower is, well, common, so much so it is not much collected any more. It loves roadsides and vacant lots. In late summer it lines the highways and byways with bright yellow. It is native to the western USA and has spread to every state east. It follows the Rio Grande drainage all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Note that culinary and crop cultivars of H. annuus can occasionally escape (see the photorecord of a plant in a vacant lot of South Fork, Rio Grande Co, 2013). Cultivated or not, the seeds in a head form the intersection of left and right sprials, the numbers of which are sequential Fibonacci numbers. As with a pine cone, this arrangement packs the seeds as efficiently as possible (Roger V. Jen, 1994).
Iberis amara "farafadler", 6 km SSE of Crestone, 2 Oct 2024 Brassicaceae rocket candytuft The exotic ornamental candytuft sometimes escapes. Whether this particular plant from south of Crestone (Saguache Co, 2024) was cultivated or cultivated and escaped remains to be seen. There are no other records of Iberis amara from the Watershed, or indeed from the entire Rio Grande drainage.. In Colorado, Ackerfield (2022) shows escapes recorded from the Boulder/Denver area. BONAP shows a very scattered USA distribution, with occurrences in southern California, Utah, western Montana, Michigan, and several east coast states.
Levisticum officinale Apiaceae lovage NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. For lovage there is one location in the Watershed, near Conejos, a house plot, the plant collected in 1983 and 1984. This annual is sometimes cultivated in herb gardens. Evidence that levisticum officinale can escape and survive in the wild is based on a tiny scattering of records around the USA. The only other Rio Grande drainage occurrence was from a pasture near Taos, New Mexico (1923).
Lobularia maritima YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte yard, 22 Aug 2020 Brassicaceae sweet alyssum For sweet alyssum, the Watershed has four locations: the floodplain of the Rio Grande in Alamosa (1978); a yard in Del Norte (2020); foothills just south of Del Norte (2022, iNaturalist observation #131102016); and South Fork (iNaturalist observation #225384370). The plant in the Del Norte yard was an escape that did not persist long, surviving only one winter). Lobularia maritima is a Eurasian exotic today is often cultivated from seed packets. Locations are widely scattered over the USA. The farthest down the Rio Grande drainage that it has been reported are from the contingent counties of Lea, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.
Lonicera tatarica YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte yard 900 block S Columbia 28 July 2018 Caprifoliaceae Tartarian honeysuckle From the Watershed there are only two records of Tartarian honeysuckle: in the Baca NWR (2006) where it may have escaped cultivation; and in the Monte Vista NWP (2021, iNaturalist observation #80904547). This exotic became a popular ornamental in the 19th century, and its subsequent naturalization in the northern USA states has been vexatious. There is little evidence that the Watershed has suffered from the proliferation of escaped plants in the wild, although the bush is still cultivated as an ornamental in towns such as Del Norte and Alamosa. There is no record of escapes farther down the Rio Grande drainage, either in New Mexico or Texas.
Malus domestica [Malus pumila] [Malus communis] [Malus sylvestris] [Pyrus malus] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte yard, 2014-2023 Rosaceae common apple, apple tree In the Watershed there is one voucher for this cultivated crabapple (often planted around the Valley): “Cattle HQ” within the Baca National Wildlife Refuge (2006), perhaps not escaped but just persisting after the property was abandoned. Otherwise, Malus pumila is a popular ornamental found in all towns of the Valley, where the fallen pomes readily take root in yards with trees. It can be found around old homesteads, forest edges, lake shores, etc. in all states of the USA except for Florida, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Texas. Note that this is the apple of ancient Old World lineage, with hundreds of cultivars, and on its genus name there is no authoritative consensus. I'm going with FNA.
Medicago sativa [Medicago falcata] YES Rich Haswell: streetside, Del Norte 1 May 2021; albino form Del Norte, street side 22 June 2018 Fabaceae alfalfa, lucerne In the Watershed, alfalfa is cultivated everywhere as a commercial or fodder crop, and has escaped and for a long time has been well established in town lawns and street sides, also along roads, ditches, rest areas, etc. In 1932 Francis Ramalay described it as a "common escape" in and around the town of Alamosa. Medicago sativa is perennial, deep-rooted, and not easy to eradicate—a common story in every state of the USA. Note that the species is usually absent from lists of "invasive" plants, probably because the parent of such lists is often state departments of agriculture with an interest in supporting commercial crops.
Opuntia fragilis [Cactus fragilis] [Opuntia brachyarthra] YES Alescan: Conejos Co, 10 km west of Romeo, 10 July 2024 Cactaceae brittle prickly-pear There are only two observations from the Watershed of brittle prickly-pear cactus. The earlier is purely verbal. On 24 Sept 1983, R. A. Bye and E. Bye report the species in "lightly to heavily disturbed sandy soil" among grazed and cultivated fields 0.5 miles east of Capulin along Hwy 15, in association with Lupinus argenteus, Lepidium, Gridelia, Chrysothamnus, Bassia, and Populus angustifolius (see SEINet voucher for Lupinus argenteus). The second is a recent iNaturalist observation (#228492902) from 10 km west of Romeo (Conejos Co, 10 July 2024). O. fragilis is mainly a Four Corners and Great Plains cactus, with locations in Colorado both to the east and the west of the Watershed. Allred et al. (2020) report it only from the extreme northwest of New Mexico, in San Juan Co, but BONAP shows it present in Rio Arriba, Torrance, Santa Fe, and Valencia counties. It is recorded no farther south down the Rio Grande drainage. So in the Watershed the species is to be looked for especially in the Lower Basin.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia [Hedera quinquefolia] [Parthenocissus inserta] [Vitis inserta] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte, covering side of brick building on main street 4 July 2017 Vitaceae Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-finger ivy Parthenocissus quinquefolia is a vine native to the East coast and adventive to Colorado. It has been cultivated to cover the sides of buildings and to adorn house trellises in the Watershed, where it has no trouble surviving Valley weather and elevation. Near Del Norte it can be seen spread to fence rows, and it covers the side of an old brick building on main street (Hwy 160). These occurrences would add Rio Grande to counties indicated in Ackerfield (2022) and BONAP (2022). Note that there is a disparity between vouchered records and photorecords. Judging from BONAP, the Watershed locations are the only ones in the entire Rio Grande drainage. But iNaturalist has many observations running down the Rio Grande drainage of New Mexico to the border with Mexico—and indeed on down to the Big Bend country of Texas.
Penstemon palmeri YES Rich Haswell: Saguache Co, 3 miles S of Villa Grove by Hwy 285, 28 June 2014 Plantaginaceae crested beardstongue, fuzzytongue penstemon This tall, stately penstemon has been cultivated and used for highway reseeding or beautification projects. One population south of Villa Grove along Hwy 285 was last recorded in 2017 and currently is no longer there. Another was recorded a little farther north on the same highway on 5 July 2021 (iNaturalist observation 86150285), and a third on Hwy 285 near the junction with Hwy 17 on 24 June 2022 (iNaturalist observation 123450831). Other than these highway seedings, there is no evidence that P. palmeri is native to the Watershed. Palmer's penstemon is native to the USA Southwest, but whether it is native, adventive, naturalized, or exotic in Colorado) seems a matter of debate. Note that BONAP shows it as native in Colorado—as well as in New Mexico, although Allred et al. 2020 treat it as exotic there. In New Mexico, BONAP shows the species as far down the Rio Grande drainage as Doña Ana Co, but no farther down stream.
Physalis ixocarpa Solanaceae tomatillo There is only one record of Physalis ixocarpa from the Watershed, a plant collected roadside 4 miles east of San Luis (Costilla Co), dated 14 Oct 1988, desiccated with fruit still attached. Neither Ackerfield (2022) or BONAP (2022) show this voucher. Note that P. ixocarpa is sometimes considered the wild form from which the culinary "tomatillo" was cultivated. Other authorities collapse P. ixocarpa into P. philadelphica. Ackerfield and BONA show neither P. ixocarpa or P. philadelphica in Colorado. BONAP shows P. philadelphica with very scattered records throughout the USA, probably most being escapes. The species, native to Mexico, is shown following the Rio Grande nearly to the Gulf of Mexico. Allred et al (2021), who accept P. ixocarpa as a valid species, find it in only one Rio Grande drainage county of New Mexico, namely Santa Fe county.
Populus deltoides [Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera] [Populus deltoides subsp. wislizeni] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte, 9th street and Spruce, 24 May 2020 Salicaceae Eastern cottonwood, Plains cottonwood Strangely this most widespread of native cottonwoods in the USA may be adventive to the Watershed. Cultivated trees and their seedlings can be found on private properties and in towns, for instance at the headquarters of a former cattle ranch in the Baca NWR, or in the lawn of an elementary school administrative building in Del Norte (also on the property of the Great Sand Dunes Oasis, Alamosa Co: see iNaturalist #118703367). These are P. deltoides subsp. monilifera, or Plains cottonwood. The other subspecies is P. deltoides subsp. wislizeni, which has not been recorded in the Watershed despite being called the Rio Grande cottonwood. In New Mexico, both subspecies are "Found throughout the state along nearly all river drainages"—including that of the Rio Grande. Its variations are a "quagmire" "capable of sinking even the most fervent and accomplished taxonomist" (Allred, et al., 2020, III, part 2, p. 731). It follows the Rio Grande to within 50 miles of the Gulf of Mexico.
Populus nigra YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande, Del Norte 20 April 2019; 30 June 2021 Salicaceae Lombardy popular, black popular In the Watershed, Lombardy poplar is always cultivated and has not been observed spreading. For that reason, probably, Ackerfield (2022) omits it. Usually it is propagated from cuttings. Though relatively short-lived, Populus nigra has no trouble surviving the Valley elevation and weather. From pioneer times to today, it has been widely used as a windbreak for houses and ranches in the Basin.
Portulaca grandiflora YES Russell Clark: Conejos Co, 7 km SSE of Sanford, Oct 2023 Portulacaceae rose moss There is only one confirmed record of rose moss from the Watershed, an occurrence about 7 km SSE of Sanford in Conejos Co. The location is isolated from human habitation. The arid conditions fit the natural habitat of Portulaca grandiflora in South American countries where the species originated. There are many cultivated varieites, and this is likely an escape. BONAP and iNaturalist show many locations around the USA where escapes have been recorded. Three such occurrences trace the Rio Grande down through New Mexico to nearly the Gulf of Mexico.
Reseda luteola Resedaceae dyer’s rocket, dyer’s weed, weld NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. There are two locations for Reseda luteola, or dyer's rocket, a mignonette introduced from the Old World traditionally cultivated for its bright yellowdye: Saguache Co, La Garita Creek (2004, Flaig and Komarek) and Costilla Co, 2.2 miles west of Mesita (2001). The first may be a misidentifications of Reseda lutea. That La Garita Creek location was visited in 2019 and only Reseda lutea found. There are no records from farther down the Rio Grande drainage. The scattered locations around the USA for Reseda luteola probably represent escapes from cultivation or from ornamental plantings.
Reseda odorata Resedaceae common mignonette, garden mignonette, sweet reseda NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. Hobey Dixon reports Reseda odorata as an escaped cultivar on the valley floor (2012, p. 130), and the 1984 voucher records "Hot Springs," with coordinates to the Valley Hot Springs. Reseda odorata was cultivated at times in the Valley for its sweet perfumy scent. It's doubtful that the plant, once escaped, persisted. The only USA records shown in BONAP are more temperate locations in southern California and the East Coast.
Rhamnus cathartica [Cervispina cathartia] Rhamnaceae common buckthorn NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. The Watershed has only two records of common buckthorn. The older is from the Adams State College campus (1953). The more recent is from a ranch on the Baca National Wildlife Refuge (2006). Rhamnus cathartica was cultivated as an ornamental shrub and subsequently naturalized in the northern half of the USA. Saguache and Alamosa counties of the Watershed represent its southernmost reach in the Rockies.
Robinia neomexicana [Robinia neomexicana X Robinia pseudoacacia] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte, on pioneer house lot Columbia and Ninth 26 May 2020 Fabaceae New Mexican locust In the Watershed, the tree has been cultivated (usually a cross between Robinia neomexicana and R. pseudoacacia) and occasionally has escaped. There are three records from the floodplain of the Rio Grande in Alamosa, 1976-1985; one from Costilla Co, 4 miles W of Hwy 159 near the New Mexico border; one from Del Norte on an old pioneer house lot. Note that the native tree, not the cultivated hybrid, is common in New Mexico counties bordering Colorado, as well as the southwest states of the USA. It follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico, occupying canyons and dry slopes, and on into the tip of west Texas, but no farther down stream.
Rubus idaeus [Rubus aliceae] [Rubus arizonicus] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, confluence of Chruch Creek and South Fork of the Rio Grande 29 June 2021, 2017 Rosaceae raspberry, red raspberry Red raspberry is common on mesic or xeric slopes, forested or not, in all mountain regions of the Watershed. Rubus idaeus is quite variable, and in the Watershed collectors have determine at least three varieties: var. strigosus, var. melanolasius, and var. aculeatissimus (with spiny sepals—see photorecords from Church Creek in Rio Grande Co). In the USA, R. idaeus is absent from only California, most of the southern Great Plains, and the Deep South. It follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico to Otero Co, but not into Texas. Note that the red raspberry cultivated and sold in stores is derived from R. idaeus var. idaeus.
Salix babylonica YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Cp, 2.6 miles W of Del Norte, on Hwy 160, 26 May 2020 Salicaceae weeping willow In the Watershed, weepig willow is always cultivated and has not been recorded spreading. Single trees have been observed in the towns of Alamosa (1968) and Monte Vista (2023), on the grounds of Adams State College in Alamosa (1994), by a farm house W of Del Norte (2020), by Hwy 285 just north of La Jara (2021), etc. The specific name is Linnaeus's witty allusion to the 137th Psalm: "By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept." The common names for the species in Europe all refer to weeping: e.g., saule pleureur (French), Trauerweide (German), salice piangente (Italian), sauce llorón (Spanish).
Saponaria officinalis YES Rich Haswell: Del Norte 10 Oct 2016 [by street, escaped?) Caryophyllaceae bouncing bet Bouncing Bet is a cultivated exotic that does well in the Watershed, where escapes are probably wide spread, although there are only 4 recorded locations: Conejos Co, Fox Creek, by the rock wall of an abandoned building (1986); Saguache Co, just N of the Great Sand Dunes NP in a camp site (1993); Mineral Co, Cottonwood Cove by the road side (2001); Rio Grande Co, Del Norte street side (photorecords 2015-2016). The latest observation is from 17 km west of Manassa near La Jara Creek (Conejos Co, 2022; iNaturalist #137585491). Saponaria officinalis tolerates all kinds of habitats, as evidenced by its presence in all USA states. It is on Colorado's B list of "noxious weeds," although in the Watershed there is no evidence that it deserves the label. Escapes along roadside have been observed as far down the Rio Grande drainage as far as Santa Fe Co, New Mexico.
Shepherdia argentea [Lepargyrea argentea] [Hippophaë argentea] Elaeagnaceae silver buffaloberry NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. From the Watershed there are only two vouchers for Shepherdia argentea: Saguache Co, near Center, “domestic planting” (1992), and Rio Grande Co, 6 miles N and 3 miles W of Monte Vista "on ditch bank." This native buffaloberry is more commonly found on the western slope of Colorado. Unlike S. canadensis, the berries are edible and homeowners have sometimes cultivated it. This is a Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains buffaloberry, with a disjunct population in western Nevada and southern California. The Watershed and locations in the Rio Grande drainage counties of Rio Arriba and Sandoval in New Mexico mark its southernmost reach in the USA.
Silybum marianum [Carduus marianus] Asteraceae milk thistle NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. For the Watershed there is one record of milk thistle, “in sweet corn garden at Center” (1961). The exotic Silybum marianum was sometimes cultivated for flower decorations, and may have escaped, but there is no record of it persisting. Escapes have been recorded in the more temperate regions of the USA, especially in California. The only other location in the Rio Grande drainage is Doña Ana Co of New Mexico.
Sinapis alba [Brassica hirta] [ Brassica alba] [Rorippa coloradensis] Brassicaceae white mustard NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. This mustard used to be cultivated for its seed, used in, well, mustard. In 1875 Brandegee collected a specimen from “Lakes of San Luis Valley,” which R. L. Stuckey designated as the holotype for "Rorippa coloradensis" (see Stuckey 1972, Sida 4, pp. 303-305), and which in 2007 Al-Shehbaz determined to be Sinapis alba. The only other Watershed record of S. alba is of escaped plants growing along a ditch in Conejos Co (1982). These two locations are the only ones for the entire Rio Grande drainage. Judging from the USA distribution map in BONAP, the plant does not often escape and persist.
Stachys pilosa [Stachys palustris] [Stachys scopulorum] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, ditch by Hwy 160 between Del Norte and South Fork 7 May 2016 Lamiaceae hairy hedgenettle In the Watershed, hairy hedgenettle has been recorded often in the Basin and on up into the lower montane. It is typically found in mesic habitats, often ruderal such as wet cultivated meadows, seeps, road sides, irrigation ditches, etc. The latest observation is of a plant growing in stabilized sand of the Great Sand Dunes NPP (2023, iNaturalist #173138237). Stachys pilosa is the most wide spread hedgenettle in the USA, growing everywhere except below the Mason-Dixon line and in Texas. It follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico but not farther downstream.
Stellaria media [Alsine media] YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, in lawn of Del Norte private property 15 July 2013; 4 Sept 2014; 25 June 2021; 19 July 2022 Caryophyllaceae common chickweed, stitchwort Surprisingly there is only one recorded location of Stellaria media in the Watershed, escaped from a seed packet into a yard in Del Norte. This common chickweed has persisted in the location since July of 2013, expanding its terrain with each year. Another observation is in the lawn of the patio behind Del Norte Bank (2023). The exotic is sometimes cultivated for salads. It has been recorded from every state of the USA, with scattered observations from the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico and Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Asteraceae New England aster NEED IN SITU PHOTOS There are no vouchers of New England aster from the Watershed. But iNaturalist has a number of observations, one from the town of Alamosa and three from the Conejos River watershed. However, only one of these iNaturalist photos shows enough features to make a determination of Symphyotrichum novae-angliae reasonable: taken by Amber Marie on Trujillo Meadows dam, 2 July 2018, elev. ± 10,000' (Conejos Co). Allred et al. (2020) show the species from a "few scattered sites" in New Mexico, some locations in Taos and Santa Fe counties, in the Rio Grande drainage bordering Colorado. BONAP also shows Rio Arriba county. The native distribution of S. novae-angliae is centered in the upper Mid-West and New England states, with scattered locations in the Rockies from Montana to New Mexico (but no farther down the Rio Grande drainage). Note that cultivated varieties of the species are readily available.
Tanacetum vulgare YES Mary E. McDonald, Conejos Co, lower end of Foreset Service Rd 103 30 Aug 2021 Asteraceae common tansy For common tansy there are only seven observed Watershed locations: 5 miles west of San Luis (Costilla Co); 7 miles SW of Alamosa (Alamosa Co); 1 mile east of South Fork (Rio Grande Co); Fox Creek and FSR 103 (Conejos Co); SW of Creede (Mineral Co); and SW of South Fork near the junction of Hwy 160 and CR 391 2 Oct (2024, iNaturalist observation #245259641). Tanacetum vulgare is a cultivated ornamental that sometimes escapes and nativizes. It is on Colorado's B list of "noxious weeds." It has been observed in all USA states except Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, and Florida. It follows the Rio Grande drainage down to Bernalillo Co, New Mexico.
Tradescantia occidentalis [Tradescantia virginiana var. occidentalis] YES Bonnie Webster: Saguache Co, Creston street side, 2 July 2019 Commelinaceae prairie spiderwort NEED IN SITU PHOTOS. Prairie spiderwort has one voucher for the Watershed: McFadden’s pond, about 1 mile north of US 160 on Baca Lane, NE of Alamosa (Alamosa Co, 1986). There is a second observation: alongside Spruce St. in Creston (Saguache Co, 2019; iNaturalist #28096161)—probably escaped. Tradescantia occidentalis is native to the Colorado Plains, and there are native collections from the east side of the Cristos north of La Veta Pass, in the San Juan River drainage of Colorado west of the Divide, and in nearly all the counties of New Mexico, including those bordering Colorado. It is sometimes cultivated, however, and both the Alamosa and Creston occurrences might have been escapes. The USA distribution is extensive, covering the Intermountain region, the Rockies, the Great Plains, the northern Great Plains, and Louisiana and Mississippi. The species follows the Rio Grande drainage through New Mexico and Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.
Trifolium fragiferum YES Rich Haswell: Conejos Co, in floodplain of the Rio Grande, below bridge on Hwy 142, west side of the river 7/28/2021 Fabaceae strawberry clover There are only three records of Trifolium fragiferum from the Watershed: in the lawn of the Walmart store in Alamosa (2003), in the floodplain of the Rio Grande where Hwy 142 crosses it east of Manassa (2021); and by the Rio Grande 12 km SE of Alamosa (2024, iNaturalist observation #243618148). These observations would add Alamosa and Conejos to counties shown for strawberry clover in Ackerfield (2022). This exotic clover, first recorded from Colorado in 1935, is sometimes cultivated—but not in the Valley. When escaped, it readily naturalizes. The USA distribution is suggested by scattered reports from most states west of the Mississippi, and even more scattered locations elsewhere. The presence of the species in the Rio Grande drainage is confined to the two reports from the Watershed; in 1995 it was seeded in Socorro Co, New Mexico, but did not persist, according to Allred et al. (2020).
Viola x williamsii YES Jamie Smith: Rio Grande Co, Monte Vista, growing in sidewalk crack, 13 July 2019 Violaceae hybrid horned pansy, tufted pansy There is only one Watershed observation of this cultivated violet, an escape growing between sections of a paved sidewalk in Monte Vista, photographed by Jamie Smith on 13 July 2019 (see iNaturalist #28769898). The species is a hybrid between Viola cornuta and Viola x wittrockiana, itself a hybrid between Viola tricolor and two other species. No other escapes of V. x williamsii have been recorded from the Rio Grande drainage.