Beware the Green Invaders!
- Inside Track Almanac
- Feb 7
- 2 min read
Discover Native Gardening with Carla McMahon
Let’s talk about the scarier side of gardening in Florida, the dreaded invasive! It’s already a challenge with our vegetation growing season being year-round but we also have to contend with plants that can invade our landscapes. We will learn a bit here that will make them less intimidating.
The Florida Invasive Species Council categorizes invasive species into different groups to help identify the most problematic. They put them in two groups: Category I plants are considered the most invasive and known to alter native plant communities. Category II are those plants that have increased in abundance but don’t alter our native communities. Below are some Category I plants we should be on the lookout for.
Starting with the trees/shrubs that plague us here on the Treasure Coast: Brazilian Pepper, Melaleuca tree, Carrotwood tree, Surinam Cherry, and Australian Pines. Some were brought here as ornamentals, like the Brazilian pepper that came to Florida somewhere around the 1850’s. It had bright red berries and pretty glossy rounded leaves but soon became a widespread problem. These plants love our humid weather, and the birds like to eat and spread their seeds.
A few invasive plants have made it into our landscapes by being the hottest new plant brought from another humid climate. Believe it or not the pretty purple Mexican petunia, which can still be purchased at the big box stores, is a class one invasive! Watch out for this one because it is a runner; it moves across your yard by sneaking under the ground. A few others are Wedelia (a ground cover with pretty yellow flowers), Elephant Ear/Wild Taro, Japanese Honeysuckle, and Lantana.
There are two invasive plants that top this gardener’s list to contain at all costs! The first is the Air Potato Vine; it will rapidly send out stems that will cover your trees. The other is the Chinese Crown Orchid, it is a small orchid but can reproduce quickly by bulb or seed. To contain these plants, it is suggested that you pull them out trying to get every bulb, burn it or place it in a plastic bag and dispose of it in your household trash, not green trash. Your green trash goes to the landfill and is mulched and the plants just spread further. You can find more information and a biological control for Air Potato (Air potato beetle) from your local extension office.
Are you scared yet?? No need to be, just educate yourself. When you find something that pops up in your garden or landscape that you didn’t plant, it is probably invasive. Stay vigilant, it’s a jungle out there! I have a joke about invasive plants, but this isn’t the place for it!
Carla McMahon is a local resident with a passion for Florida gardening. She works at McKee Botanical Gardens, is a member of Florida Native Plant Society, holds an AS in Horticulture from IRSC and completed her Master Gardener Certification with the Indian River County Extension Office. When she doesn’t have her hands in the sandy soil she can be found paddle boarding in local waters.