'Hairy panic grass' is taking over this Australian town

 By 
Megan Specia
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

A tumbleweed-like grass is piling up on doorsteps in rural Victoria, Australia.

Residents of Wangaratta are spending hours each day trying to remove the ghostly weeds, called "hairy panic grass," from their yards and garages.

The grass has nearly swallowed some homes in the community. Images from the area show weeds stacked as high as roofs. Residents have to wade through the mess just to make it to their front doors.

And people in the neighborhood are none too pleased since the weeds are allegedly the result of neglected local farmland.

Look what's blown in.. #Wangaratta homes blanketed by tumbleweed.. And the residents are fed up!! Tonight at 6.. pic.twitter.com/J0eUiULZeo— Teegan Dolling (@tdolling) February 17, 2016

News footage from Wangaratta shows cars attempting to drive through the mess.

"It's physically draining and mentally more draining," resident Pam Twitchett told 7 News.

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Tumbleweed MessTumbleweeds are piling up roof high outside homes in Wangaratta. www.7News.com.au#Wangaratta #7NewsPosted by 7 News Sydney on Wednesday, February 17, 2016

"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," resident Jason Perna told Australia's 7 News.

The hairy panic grass has been around for years, but a particularly dry summer has made conditions much worse than usual this season.

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