A carrotwood tree. UF/IFAS PHOTO

If you lived in a northern climate prior to moving to Southwest Florida as I did, you no doubt have an appreciation for how quickly plants grow in our sub-tropical conditions. While it is quite rewarding to see your gardening efforts prosper so easily, the ease with which some plants grow can be indicative of their invasive nature.

Florida native plants are defined as plants whose native range included Florida around 1500 AD, or at the time of European contact. Almost one-third of the more than 4,000 plant species that grow on their own without cultivation in Florida are non-native. These plants were either introduced as ornamental plants in residential gardens or as agricultural crops; the Florida environment was so advantageous to these plants that they naturalized or spread on their own. Non-native plants are labeled as invasive when they spread extensively into natural areas and displace native plants and disturb naturally occurring native plant communities.

To help understand the impact of invasive plants, it may be easier to consider the introduction of non-native animals to our environment, specifically Burmese pythons and boa constrictors which are frequently in the news. These non-native snakes were introduced to Southern Florida almost 40 years ago, and as non-native species they have no natural predators. According to multiple studies they have virtually wiped out raccoons, marsh rabbits, opossums and other once-common mammals in the Everglades National Park; the loss of these species has produced significant repercussions on the food web in the Everglades. The introduction of non-native plants that become invasive has the same potential for reducing biodiversity in our environment, which can negatively impact wildlife and other natural occurrences such as fire frequency and water flow.

As a homeowner, how can you take action to prevent the spread of invasive plants? First, you can educate yourself about the plants in our area that are considered invasive and ensure that you do not introduce these plants into your landscape.

The UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants maintains an online Plant Directory of more than 400 plants that have been identified as either invasive or potentially invasive. You can access the directory at: plants.ifas.ufl.edu. The Florida Invasive Species Council, or FISC, maintains invasive species lists that are revised every two years.

You may be surprised to find that the invasive plant list includes plants that are commonly seen in our Southwest Florida landscapes: Mexican petunia, asparagus fern, lantana, Brazilian pepper, heavenly bamboo, carrotwood, mimosa tree and water hyacinth.

What if you find that these plants are already present in your landscape? The recommended approach is removal of an invasive plant or its fruits. This is not generally an issue for smaller plants or shrubs; however, the removal and replacement of large trees may require advice from an arborist. You should also never empty your aquarium into a lake or river because this can introduce invasive water plants into the local environment.

Invasive plants represent a threat to our environment by displacing native plants and disrupting the ecological balance. We can all help minimize this threat through increased awareness of the presence of invasive plants in our landscape, and by working to remove these plants and protect our beautiful Southwest Florida native environment!

Cathy Dunn is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer, Garden Club of Cape Coral member and president of the James E. Hendry Hibiscus Chapter. Visit GardenClubofCapeCoral.com. Like them on their Facebook page.