INVASIVE PLANTS

Land managers of natural areas recommend that residents of Broward County refrain from planting non-native plants in their yards, especially if they live near a natural area.  Too often non-native plants (that in their places of origin would be kept in check by local diseases and insects) outcompete Florida’s native vegetation and replace them.  Invasive plants that are threats in yards, parks, roadsides, canal banks, and natural areas include the following:

TREES

·         Earleaf acacia (Acacia auriculiformis)

·         Mimosa, silk tree (Albizia julibrissin)

·         Woman’s tongue (Albizia lebbeck)

·         Purple orchid tree (Bauhinia purpurea)

·         Orchid tree (Bauhinia variegate)

·         Bishopwood (Bischofia javanica)

·         Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera)

·         Beauty leaf or Santa Maria (Calophyllum antillanum)

·         Australian pine (Casuarina equisetifolia)

·         Suckering Australian pine (Casuarina glauca)

·         Trumpet tree (Cecropia palmata)

·         Carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides)

·         Indian rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo)

·         Laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa)

·         Silk Oak (Grevillea robusta)

·         Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

·         False banyan (Ficus altissima)

·         Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)

·         Governor’s plum (Flacourtia indica)

·         Flamegold tree (Koelreuteria elegans)

·         Lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala)

·         Mango (Mangifera indica)

·         Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota)

·         Melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia)

·         Chinaberry (Melia azedarach)

·         Pongam (Pongamia pinnata)

·         Guava (Psidium guajava)

·         African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata)

·         Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum)

·         Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla)

·         Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius)

·         Jambolan plum (Syzygium cumini)

·         Rose apple (Syzygium jambos)

·         Sea hibiscus (Talipariti tiliaceum)

·         Tropical almond (Terminalia catappa)

·         Australian almond (Terminalia muelleri)

·         Seaside mahoe (Thespesia populnea)

PALMS

·         Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)

·         Chinese fan palm (Livistone chinensis)

·         Senegal date palm (Phoenix reclinata)

·         Solitary palm (Ptychosperma elegans)

·         Queen palm (Syagrus ramanzoffiana)

·         Washington fan palm (Washingtonia robusta)

SHRUBS

·         Shoebutton ardisia (Ardisia elliptica)

·         Philippine violet (Barleria cristata)

·         Day Jessamine (Cestrum diurnum)

·         Stickbush (Clerodendrum chinense)

·         Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora)

·         Gold Coast jasmine (Jasminum dichotomum)

·         Lantana (Lantana camara)

·         Orange-jessamine (Murraya paniculata)

·         Kopsia (Ochrosia elliptica)

·         Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum)

·         Castor bean (Ricinus communis)

·         Half flower (Scaevola sericea)

·         Christmas cassia (Senna pendula)

·         Twinleaf nightshade (Solanum diphyllum)

·         Turkeyberry (Solanum torvum)

·         Simpleleaf chastetree (Vitex trifolia)

·         Coral vine (Antigonon leptopus)

·         Calico flower (Aristolochia litoralis)

·         Rubber vine (Cryptostegia madagascariensis)

·         Winged yam (Dioscorea alata)

·         Air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera)

·         Poths (Epipremnum pinnatum)

·         Brazilian jasmine (Jasminum fluminense)

·         Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

·         Cat’s claw vine (Macfadyena unguis-cati)

·         Roadside woodrose (Merremia cissoides)

·         Noyau Vine (Merremia dissecta)

·         Wood rose (Merremia tuberosa)

·         Balsam apple, Cerci (Momordica charantia)

·         Twolobe passionflower (Passiflora biflora)

·         Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis)

·         St. Vincents lilac (Solanum seaforthianum)

·         Arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum)

·         Cape honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)

FERNS

·         Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum)

·         Sword fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia)

·         Asian sword fern (Nephrolepis multiflora)

·         Wart fern (Phymatosorus scolopendria)

·         Giant brake fern (Pteris tripartita)

·         Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata)

·         Incised halberd fern (Tectarja incise)

GRASSES AND SEDGES

·         Giant reed (Arundo donax)

·         Umbrella plant (Cyperus involucratus)

·         Molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora)

·         Burma reed (Neyraudia reynaudiana)

·         Guinea grass (Panicum maximum)

·         Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum)

·         Natal grass (Rhynchelytrum repens)

·         Para grass (Urochloa multica)

HERBACEOUS (no woody stems)

·         Sisal hemp (Agave sisulana)

·         Sprenger’s asparagus fern (Asparagus nethiopicus)

·         Ganges primrose (Asystasia gangetica)

·         Green shrimp plant (Blechum pyramidatum)

·         Inch plant (Callisia fragrans)

·         Madagascar periwinkle (Cartharanthus roseus)

·         Fringed spiderwort (Cleome rutidosperma)

·         Wild taro (Colocasia esculenta)

·         Lather leaf (Colubrina asiatica)

·         Water-hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)

·         Chandlier plant (Kalanchoe delagoensis)

·         Devil’s backbone (Kalanchoe daigremontiana)

·         Life plant (Kalanchoe pinnata)

·         Four o’clock (Mirabilis jalapa)

·         Ground orchid (Oeceoclades maculata)

·         Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes)

·         Mexican clover (Richardia grandiflora)

·         Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana)

·         Bowstring hemp (Sansevieria hyacinthoides)

·         Wedelia (Sphagneticola trilobata)

·         Blue porterweed (Stachytarpheta cayennensis)

·         Spiderwort (Tradescantia fluminensis)

·         Oyster plant (Tradescantia spathacea)

·         Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina)

·         Puncture vine (Tribulus cistoides)

·         Elephant ear (Xanthosoma sagittifolium)

For more information go to:

·         http://www.fleppc.org Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council or http://www.se-eppc.org Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council

·         http://www.fnps.org Florida Native Plant Society - Invasive Exotic Plants

·         http://www.nature.org/initiatives/invasivespecies/features/ The Nature Conservancy Invasive Plants in Your Backyard

·         http://www.plants.ifas.ufl.edu University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants

·         http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/weeds/ U. S. Department of Agriculture

·         http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien Weeds Gone Wild, Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas, Plant Conservation Alliance

This information was prepared by Broward County Parks and Recreation Division and  titled, Invasive Plants In Our Yards.  It was published December 2006.