WANGARATTA, Australia, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- A rapidly growing tumbleweed known as "hairy panic" -- scientific name Panicum effusum -- has engulfed several homes in the Australian town of Wangaratta, located in the northeast of Victoria.
Residents have been forced to beat back the weeds on a daily basis, hours of work erased by the weed's speedy growth. The hay-like grass has enveloped yards, gardens, porches and garages.
"It is frustrating. You know that you've got a good couple of hours work ahead of you and that's always sort of displeasing," local Wangaratta resident Jason Perna told Australia's Prime7 News Albury.
Hairy panic is found in all six Australian states, and has been making yearly appearances in Wangaratta for the last few years -- but never as bad as this summer's outbreak, locals say.
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Dead and dying grass forms tumbleweeds as a strategy for dispersing seeds, and the piles of stalks can quickly accumulate near barriers like houses. The weed has climbed atop the roofs of some Wangaratta homes.
Town officials say the weed isn't a fire hazard, so residents are on their own to clean up the mess.
Locals are blaming the recent outbreak on a local farmer who failed to control a paddock of the weed.
Sheep who eat a large amount of the weed can can sometimes develop a fatal condition called "yellow big head." The weed's toxicity is minimal and dissipates when the grass dies. It's not a danger to most domestic animals.
"The important thing is it's not going to kill people's dogs and cats, it just makes a hell of a mess," local veterinary surgeon Richard Evans told the BBC.
