In 1883, Hawaii successfully introduced African Guinea grass for livestock feed; 143 years later, the 9-foot invasive grass can produce 9,000 seeds per plant and has a 0.89 fire-risk score

• Representative Image (AI-generated)What was once introduced as a useful pasture grass has become part of Hawaii's growing invasive-species and wildfire challenge.
• Guinea grass, a perennial species native to Africa, was brought to Hawaii during the 19th century because of its value as livestock forage.
• Over time, however, the grass spread beyond managed pastures and became naturalised across the islands.