SunStar + April 29, 2021 COGON grass (Imperata cylindrica), “talahib” in Tagalog and “palat” in Kapampangan is a ubiquitous part of Philippine landscape. This grass with hard stalks and saw-toothed leaves rapidly invades any piece of land. It is a stubborn grass and very difficult to get rid of. Cogon grass is an invasive species. In Florida, USA, it is considered a plant scourge probably worse than Kudzu vine. Kudzu is a fast growing vine that kills or damages other plants by smothering them with a blanket of leaves or breaking limbs and uprooting trees and shrubs from its sheer weight. Cogon, which according to a research ecologist in the U.S. is considered as one of the worlds 10 worst weeds, is more aggressive and harder to get rid of than Kudzu.