MADISON (WKOW) — An invasive plant that was found in Rock County this summer has now been found in three additional counties in southern Wisconsin.

The plant is Japanese stiltgrass.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it was recently detected in:

• Dane County: Middleton
• Grant County: southeast of Wyalusing State Park
• Walworth County: north of Geneva Lake

These detections of Japanese stiltgrass come after the invasive plant was found in a private woodland near Beloit in August. The plant was first found in the state in 2020 inside the Coulee Experimental Forest in La Crosse County.

UW experts say Japanese stiltgrass can harm forests by growing in a branching, sprawling manner that alters soil composition, reduces wildlife habitat and decreases biodiversity. The DNR says the plant is widespread in the eastern and southern United States and has been negatively impacting forests.