• Custard Apple Nature Trail
• Invasive, Non-native Plants
• Mangrove and Estuarine Systems
• Pine Bark Beetles
• Prescribed Fire
• Trees
• Xeriscaping

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• Invasive Non-Native Plants
• Ecosystems
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  • Mangroves and Estuarine Systems
  • Maritime Hammock
  • Marsh and Fresh Water Systems
  • Mixed Hardwood Swamp
  • Pine Flatwoods
  • Swamp

INVASIVE, NON-NATIVE PLANTS: Wanted Dead, Not Alive

What is an invasive, non-native plant? A plant that would not normally exist and/or naturally occur within this region, yet has been introduced, established itself, and disrupts naturally occurring vegetation.

These invasive, non-native plants are prolific seed producers. With no known natural enemies within this region, they spread rapidly throughout our County and State. Invaders such as these destroy natural habitat, out-competing native plants for space, soil, sunlight, air and water. This loss of habitat impacts Florida wildlife. Local and State governments are also affected, spending millions annually to control these invasive, non-native plants and restore natural habitat which has been impacted due to their prolificacy. Melalueca & Java Plum are the invasive, non-native plants featured in this issue.

Melaleuca (Melaleuca Quinquenervia) is an evergreen tree and can grow to one hundred feet tall. It has whitish papery bark compiled of many layers. Its leaves are four inches long and 3/4 inch wide, alternate, grayish to green, narrow, and lance shaped. When crushed, they have a strong camphor smell. Flowers are creamy white spikes (similar to bottlebrush) found at branch tips. Its fruit is a round woody capsule about 3/8 inch wide and grows in clusters around branch tips.

Melaleuca occurs in a variety of habitats, including pine flat woods, cypress swamp, and marshes. It prefers seasonally wet sites, but also grows in standing water and well-drained sites. Its growth rate is extremely fast, producing dense stands that replace native plants and reduce animal habitat. A mature tree can produce up to twenty million seeds per year, and can hold live seeds for a massive one time release when stressed.

Java Plum (Syzygium cumini) is an evergreen tree reaching up to eighty feet in height with young stems grayish white and lower bark coarse and discolored. Leaves opposite are plain, elliptic-to-broadly oblong, smooth, glossy, somewhat leathery, two-to-five inches long, short, and pointed at tips. Leaf stalks can be up to 1.2 inches long. Leaf midrib is prominent, yellowish and blades with many lateral veins closely parallel. Its flowers are white to pinkish, about 1/2 inch across, in branched clusters at stem tips, four petals, and many stamens. Its fruit is an oval shaped, one-seeded berry up to 1/8 inch long. It has a dark purplish red, shiny, with white-to-lavender flesh.

Java Plum occurs in pine flat woods, marshes, and hammocks, forming dense canopies, shading out young native trees. It thrives in low wet areas, as well as higher well-drained lands and produces fruit in five-to-six years when grown from seeds. Java Plum flowers year round, but mostly in the spring. Its seeds are dispersed by birds and mammals.

For more information about taking action to help your community fight against these invasive, non-native plants please visit http://www.fleppc.org/.

• Greg Atkinson
  Parks Resource Supervisor