Exotic invasive plants

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Background

Exotic, invasive plant species are capable of outcompeting adjacent landscape plants and spreading out of urban landscapes into natural areas. The spread of invasive exotic species has decimated many ecosystems throughout Florida. Therefore, the restriction of scientifically documented, invasive exotic plants in landscape design is critical to helping prevent any further decline of Florida’s natural ecosystems.

Florida Water Star requires that applicants consult the following references when evaluating whether or not a plant is listed as an invasive exotic species for Florida.

The following resources can used to identify exotic invasive plants:

Requirements and certification

No invasive exotic plant species shall not be in the landscaped area.

Silver Gold Commercial/Institutional
Required Required Required

Depending on the location, some exotic, invasive plant species are more aggressive and prolific than others. Differentiation by relative aggressiveness is reflected in the plants listed by the Florida Department of Agriculture (FDAC) and and Florida Invasive Species Council (FISC), and the UF IFAS Assessment. Florida Water Star prohibits the installation of any category 1 invasive plant on the FISC list or on the UF IFAS Assessment, High Invasive, Invasive and Invasive No Uses conclusion types. (Such plants have red font in description to indicate level of invasiveness.)

An example of a plant that is invasive in one region but not in another is cane grass (Neyraudia reynaudiana), which is invasive in south Florida, but not central or northern Florida.

Learn more about invasive species from this recorded webinar.

Program tip

Inspectors must be knowledgeable of the invasive exotic species within their regions. Sterile species of listed invasive species must receive a variance from the Florida Water Star program administrator prior to use. In this case, applicants must be provided documentation that validates the sterility of the species in question.