Garden Club of Cape Coral | Alternatives for invasive species in your garden
By CAROLE KERNS
news@breezenewspapers.com
For many gardeners, their yard is a peaceful place where they can relax and enjoy the tranquility they find there. These gardeners understand that plants that can grow together will lead to a dense root system which can intertwine and help the plants stay in place during a storm. They may not be disturbed by watching a particular plant filling the space inch by inch. Over time, however, they may notice that this shrub has dramatically filled their garden, crowding out other species. This is the nature of invasive species.
Brazilian pepper berries. UF/IFAS
An invasive plant species is an aggressive, non-native species whose presence is likely to cause ecological harm. These species grow and reproduce rapidly. Not all non-native plants are invasive. Some pose no threat to the environment and are considered “Florida friendly.” Native plants originally occur in a region naturally and are adapted to the climate and soil of the area. They have evolved with the native insects and wildlife and are critical to the ecosystem. It is our responsibility to research before planting to make certain that the species in your garden are non-invasive. But if, like me, you inherit some invasive plants, it becomes our duty to remove them. The best practice is to follow the three steps developed by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Services (UF/IFAS): research, remove and replace.
Research: Before you purchase, pull out, or share a plant, do your research. The “University of Florida IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas” is a good resource for checking a plant’s invasive status. The information includes North, Central and South Florida, and pictures are included to help identify the plant in question. You can access this through the UF/IFAS website. If identifying the plant is difficult, contact your county extension office.
Remove: Once a problem species has been identified, it is time to remove it.
This is often a challenge, because invasive species are, by nature, hard to remove. My daughter helped me to remove an invasive species known as the Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana). Upon its removal, we noted that the plant’s root was over a foot long. Mechanical control methods, such as pulling out the plant, should be tried first. Remember to bag all plant debris and dispose of them in the regular trash, not the yard waste recyclables. This keeps cuttings and seeds from establishing elsewhere. Ground-cover species may be more difficult to remove. In these cases, let the sun take care of it. During the hotter months, cover the area with clear plastic, bury the edges to secure it, and wait. This process, called soil solarization, is simple and inexpensive. After six weeks the plants should be dead, unless there have been some cloudy days. In that case, you may need to extend the treatment interval.
Applying an herbicide to aid in plant removal may cause irreversible damage to your yard. Before doing this, educate yourself. Some herbicides are also toxic to humans. Always read and follow the instructions on the label, as required by law. Consult the “Florida Homeowner Herbicide Guide,” offered through the UF/IFAS website, for more information. One common argument against removing invasive species is that they are “well maintained.” But there are other factors that can cause an invasive to spread. Seeds may scatter in the wind, birds may eat berries and drop seeds as they fly, and clippings may drift into storm drains and germinate many miles away. All it takes is one “escapee.”
Replace: The good news is that there are alternatives that are just as attractive as the invasive species and are beneficial for the ecosystem. My next article will focus on native and Florida-friendly plants that can replace invasive species and be an asset to the environment.
Carole Kerns is a Master Gardener Volunteer with UF/IFAS Lee County Extension and a volunteer at the Berne Davis Botanical Garden. Visit gardenclubofcapecoral.com. Like them on Facebook and Instagram.