India, Oct. 29 -- In the early 1900s, California planted the ice plant on railway embankments as a means to control erosion, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) later planted it in roadside areas. This succulent plant, known as Carpobrotus edulis, is native to the coastal regions of South Africa, which has the same type of climate as coastal California. The ice plant has also been a popular ornamental plant for many years and is still available in nurseries.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife states that the plant grows fast and has been invasive in coastal California, ranging from areas above Humboldt County to as far south as Baja California. According to CDFW, once introduced, the plant forms a thick...