PURPOSE OF THE LIST:

To focus attention on —

• the adverse effects exotic pest plants have on Florida’s biodiversity and plant communities,
• the habitat losses from exotic pest plant infestations,
• the impacts on endangered species via habitat loss and alteration,
• the need to prevent habitat losses through pest-plant management,
• the socio-economic impacts of these plants (e.g., increased wildfires in certain areas),
• changes in the seriousness of different pest plants over time,
• the need to provide information that helps managers set priorities for control programs.

FLEPPC List Definitions:

Exotic - a species introduced to Florida, purposefully or accidentally, from a natural range outside of Florida.

Native – a species whose natural range included Florida at the time of European contact (1500 AD).

Naturalized exotic – an exotic that sustains itself outside cultivation (it is still exotic; it has not “become” native).

Invasive exotic – an exotic that not only has naturalized, but is expanding on its own in Florida native plant communities.

Abbreviations:

Government List (Gov. List):
P = Prohibited by Florida Department of Environmental Protection
N = Noxious weed listed by Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
U = Noxious weed listed by U.S. Department of Agriculture
Regional Distribution (Reg. Dist.): referring to each species’ current distribution in general regions of Florida (not its potential range in the state).
N = North Florida
C = Central Florida
S = South Florida

Category I

These are invasive exotics which are altering native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but on the documented ecological damage caused.

Scientific Name	Common Name	Gov. List	Reg. Dist.
Abrus precatorius	rosary pea	N	C, S
Acacia auriculiformis	earleaf acacia		C, S
Albizia julibrissin	mimosa, silk tree		N, C
Albizia lebbeck	woman’s tongue		C, S
Ardisia crenata (=A. crenulata misapplied)	coral ardisia		N, C, S
Ardisia elliptica (=A. humilis misapplied)	shoebutton ardisia	N	C, S
Asparagus aethiopicus (=A. sprengeri; A. densiflorus misapplied)	asparagus-fern		N, C, S
Bauhinia variegata	orchid tree		C, S
Bischofia javanica	bishopwood		C, S
Calophyllum antillanum (=C. calaba and C. inophyllum misapplied)	santa maria (names "mast wood", "Alexandrian laurel" used in cultivation)		S
Casuarina equisetifolia	Australian-pine, beach sheoak	P, N	N, C, S
Casuarina glauca	suckering Australian-pine, gray sheoak	P, N	C, S
Cinnamomum camphora	camphor tree		N, C, S
Colocasia esculenta	wild taro		N, C, S
Colubrina asiatica	lather leaf	N	S
Cupaniopsis anacardioides	carrotwood	N	C, S
Dioscorea alata	winged yam	N	N, C, S
Dioscorea bulbifera	air-potato	N	N, C, S
Eichhornia crassipes	water-hyacinth	P	N, C, S
Eugenia uniflora	Surinam cherry		C, S
Ficus microcarpa (F. nitida and F. retusa var. nitida misapplied)	laurel fig		C, S
Hydrilla verticillata	hydrilla	P, U	N, C, S
Hygrophila polysperma	green hygro	P, U	N, C, S
Hymenachne amplexicaulis	West Indian marsh grass		C, S
Imperata cylindrica (I. brasiliensis misapplied)	cogon grass	N, U	N, C, S
Ipomoea aquatica	waterspinach	P, U	C
Jasminum dichotomum	Gold Coast jasmine		C,S
Jasminum fluminense	Brazilian jasmine		C, S
Lantana camara	lantana, shrub verbena		N, C, S
Ligustrum lucidum	glossy privet		N, C
Ligustrum sinense	Chinese privet, hedge privet		N, C, S
Lonicera japonica	Japanese honeysuckle		N, C, S
Ludwigia peruviana	Peruvian primrosewillow		N, C, S
Lygodium japonicum	Japanese climbing fern	N	N, C, S
Lygodium microphyllum	Old World climbing fern	N	C, S
Macfadyena unguis-cati	cat's claw vine		N, C, S
Manilkara zapota	sapodilla		S
Melaleuca quinquenervia	melaleuca, paper bark	P, N, U	C, S
Mimosa pigra	catclaw mimosa	P, N, U	C, S
Nandina domestica	nandina, heavenly bamboo		N, C
Nephrolepis cordifolia	sword fern		N, C, S
Nephrolepis multiflora	Asian sword fern		C, S
Neyraudia reynaudiana	Burma reed, cane grass	N	S
Paederia cruddasiana	sewer vine, onion vine	N	S
Paederia foetida	skunk vine	N	N, C, S
Panicum repens	torpedo grass		N, C, S
Pennisetum purpureum	Napier grass		N, C, S
Pistia stratiotes	waterlettuce	P	N, C, S
Psidium cattleianum (=P. littorale)	strawberry guava		C, S
Psidium guajava	guava		C, S
Pueraria montana var. lobata (=P. lobata)	kudzu	N	N, C, S
Rhodomyrtus tomentosa	downy rose-myrtle	N	C, S
Rhynchelytrum repens (=Melinis repens)	Natal grass		N, C, S
Ruellia tweediana (= R. brittoniana , R. coerulea)	Mexican petunia		N, C, S
Sapium sebiferum (=Triadica sebifera)	popcorn tree, Chinese tallow tree	N	N, C, S
Scaevola taccada (=Scaevola sericea, S. frutescens)	scaevola, half-flower, beach naupaka	N	C, S
Schefflera actinophylla (=Brassaia actinophylla)	schefflera, Queensland umbrella tree		C, S
Schinus terebinthifolius	Brazilian pepper	P, N	N, C, S
Senna pendula var. glabrata (=Cassia coluteoides)	climbing cassia, Christmas cassia, Christmas senna		C, S
Solanum tampicense (=S. houstonii)	wetland nightshade, aquatic soda apple	N, U	C, S
Solanum viarum	tropical soda apple	N, U	N, C, S
Syngonium podophyllum	arrowhead vine		N, C, S
Syzygium cumini	jambolan plum, Java plum		C, S
Tectaria incisa	incised halberd fern		S
Thespesia populnea	seaside mahoe		C, S
Tradescantia fluminensis	white-flowered wandering jew		N, C
Urochloa mutica (= Brachiaria mutica)	Para grass		C, S

Category II

These are invasive exotics that have increased in abundance or frequency but have not yet altered Florida plant communities to the extent shown by Category I species. These species may become ranked Category I, if ecological damage is demonstrated.

Scientific Name	Common Name	Gov. List	Reg. Dist.
Adenanthera pavonina	red sandalwood		S
Agave sisalana	sisal hemp		C, S
Aleurites fordii (=Vernicia fordii)	tung oil tree		N, C
Alstonia macrophylla	devil tree		S
Alternanthera philoxeroides	alligator weed	P	N, C, S
Antigonon leptopus	coral vine		N, C, S
Aristolochia littoralis	calico flower		N, C, S
Asystasia gangetica	Ganges primrose		C, S
Begonia cucullata	wax begonia		N, C, S
Blechum pyramidatum	green shrimp plant, Browne’s blechum		N, C, S
Broussonetia papyrifera	paper mulberry		N, C, S
Callisia fragrans	inch plant, spironema		C, S
Casuarina cunninghamiana	river sheoak, Australian-pine	P	C, S
Cecropia palmata	trumpet tree		S
Cestrum diurnum	day jessamine		C, S
Chamaedorea seifrizii	bamboo palm		S
Clematis terniflora	Japanese clematis		N, C
Cryptostegia madagascariensis	rubber vine		C, S
Cyperus involucratus (C. alternifolius misapplied)	umbrella plant		C, S
Cyperus prolifer	dwarf papyrus		C, S
Dalbergia sissoo	Indian rosewood, sissoo		C, S
Elaeagnus pungens	silverthorn, thorny olive		N, C
Epipremnum pinnatum cv. 'Aureum'	pothos		C, S
Ficus altissima	false banyan, council tree		S
Flacourtia indica	governor’s plum		S
Hemarthria altissima	limpo grass		C, S
Hibiscus tiliaceus (=Talipariti tiliaceum)	mahoe, sea hibiscus		C, S
Ipomoea fistulosa (=I. carnea ssp. fistulosa)	shrub morning-glory	P	C, S
Jasminum sambac	Arabian jasmine		S
Kalanchoe pinnata	life plant		C, S
Koelreuteria elegans ssp. formosana (=K. formosana; K. paniculata misapplied)	flamegold tree		C, S
Leucaena leucocephala	lead tree	N	N, C, S
Limnophila sessiliflora	Asian marshweed	P, U	N, C, S
Livistona chinensis	Chinese fan palm		C, S
Melia azedarach	Chinaberry		N, C, S
Melinis minutiflora	Molassesgrass		C,S
Merremia tuberosa	wood-rose		S
Murraya paniculata	orange-jessamine		S
Myriophyllum spicatum	Eurasian water-milfoil	P	N, C, S
Nymphoides cristata	snowflake		C, S
Panicum maximum	Guinea grass		N, C, S
Passiflora biflora	two-flowered passion vine		S
Pennisetum setaceum	green fountain grass		S
Phoenix reclinata	Senegal date palm		C, S
Phyllostachys aurea	golden bamboo		N, C
Pittosporum pentandrum	Philippine pittosporum, Taiwanese cheesewood		S
Pteris vittata	Chinese brake fern		N, C, S
Ptychosperma elegans	solitaire palm		S
Rhoeo spathacea (see Tradescantia spathacea)
Ricinus communis	castor bean		N, C, S
Rotala rotundifolia	roundleaf toothcup, dwarf Rotala		S
Sansevieria hyacinthoides	bowstring hemp		C, S
Scleria lacustris	Wright’s nutrush		C, S
Sesbania punicea	purple sesban, rattlebox		N, C, S
Solanum diphyllum	two-leaf nightshade		N, C, S
Solanum jamaicense	Jamaica nightshade		C
Solanum torvum	susumber, turkey berry	N, U	N, C, S
Sphagneticola trilobata (=Wedelia trilobata)	wedelia		N, C, S
Stachytarpheta cayennensis (=S. urticifolia)	nettle-leaf porterweed		S
Syagrus romanzoffiana (=Arecastrum romanzoffianum)	queen palm		C, S
Syzygium jambos	rose-apple		C, S
Terminalia catappa	tropical-almond		C, S
Terminalia muelleri	Australian-almond		C, S
Tradescantia spathacea (=Rhoeo spathacea, Rhoeo discolor)	oyster plant		S
Tribulus cistoides	puncture vine, burr-nut		N, C, S
Urena lobata	Caesar’s weed		N, C, S
Vitex trifolia	simple-leaf chaste tree		C, S
Washingtonia robusta	Washington fan palm		C, S
Wedelia (see Sphagneticola above)
Wisteria sinensis	Chinese wisteria		N, C
Xanthosoma sagittifolium	malanga, elephant ear		N, C, S

Citation example:

FLEPPC. 2007. List of Florida's Invasive Plant Species. Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. Internet: http://www.fleppc.org/list/07list.htm or Wildland Weeds Vol. 10(4), Fall 2007.

The 2007 list was prepared by the FLEPPC Plant List Committee:

Keith A. Bradley – Chair (2006-present), The Institute for Regional Conservation, 22601 S.W. 152nd Ave., Miami, FL 33170

Kathy Craddock Burks – Chair (2001-2006)

Nancy Craft Coile, Botanist Emerita, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 22804 N.W. County Road 2054, Alachua, FL 32615

Janice A. Duquesnel, Florida Park Service, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, P.O. Box 1052, Islamorada, FL 33036

David W. Hall, Private Consulting Botanist, 3666 N.W. 13th Place, Gainesville, FL 32605

Roger L. Hammer, Miami-Dade Parks Department, Castellow Hammock Nature Center, 22301 S.W. 162nd Ave., Miami, FL 33030

Patricia L. Howell, Broward County Parks, Environmental Section, 950 NW 38th Street, Oakland Park, FL 33309

Colette C. Jacono, U. S. Geological Survey, Center for Aquatic Resources Studies, 7920 NW 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653

Kenneth A. Langeland, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, IFAS, University of Florida, 7922 N.W. 71st St., Gainesville, FL 32606

Chris Lockhart, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, c/o P.O. Box 243116, Boynton Beach, FL 33424-3116

Gil Nelson, Gil Nelson Associates, 157 Leonard’s Drive, Thomasville, GA 31792

Robert W. Pemberton, Invasive Plants Research Lab, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 3225 College Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

Jimi L. Sadle, Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034

Robert W. Simons, 1122 S.W. 11th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601-7816

Sandra M. Vardaman, Alachua County Forever Land Conservation Program, Alachua County Environmental Protection Dept., 201 SE 2nd Avenue, Suite 201, Gainesville, Florida 32601

Daniel B. Ward, Department of Botany, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611

Richard P. Wunderlin, Institute for Systematic Botany, Dept. of Biological Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620

FLEPPC Database

The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Database contains over 6,000 sight records of infestations of FLEPPC Category I and Category II species in Florida public lands and waters. 360 species are recorded. Nearly all of the records are from local, state, and federal parks and preserves; a few records document infestations in regularly disturbed public lands such as highway or utility rights-of-way. Natural area managers and other veteran observers of Florida’s natural landscapes submit these records, with many supported further by voucher specimens housed in local or regional herbaria for future reference and verification. New and updated observations can be submitted online at www.fleppc.org/EDDMapS/ This database, along with other plant-data resources such as the University of South Florida Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants at www.plantatlas.usf.edu, the Florida Natural Areas Inventory database at www.fnai.org, and The Institute for Regional Conservation Floristic Inventory of South Florida database at www.regionalconservation.org, provides important basic supporting information for the FLEPPC List of Invasive Plant Species.

Images of FLEPPC

Listed species may be found at one or more of the following websites: University of South Florida Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants, www.plantatlas.usf.edu; the “Introduced Species” page on the University of Florida Herbarium website, www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herbarium/cat/digitalimagingprojects.htm; at Fairchild Tropical Garden’s Virtual Herbarium, www.virtualherbarium.org/vhportal.html; The Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium at FSU, http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu/index.php; and at the University of Florida’s Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu. Please note that greater success and accuracy in searching for plant images is likely if you search by scientific name rather than a common name. Common names often vary in cultivation and across regions. For additional information on plants included in this list, see related links and pages at www.fleppc.org.

Use of the FLEPPC List

FLEPPC encourages use of the Invasive Species List for prioritizing and implementing management efforts in natural areas, for educating lay audiences about environmental issues, and for supporting voluntary invasive plant removal programs. When a non-native plant species is to be restricted in some way by law, FLEPPC encourages use of the List as a first step in identifying species worth considering for particular types of restriction. For more information on using the FLEPPC List of Invasive Plant Species, see Wildland Weeds Summer 2002 issue (Vol. 5, No. 3), pp. 16-17.

NOTE: Not all exotic plants brought into Florida become pest plants in natural areas. The FLEPPC List of Invasive Plant Species represents only about 10% of the 1,300+ exotic species that have been introduced into Florida and subsequently established outside of cultivation. Most escaped exotics usually present only minor problems in highly disturbed areas (such as roadsides). And there are other exotics cultivated in Florida that are "well behaved" — that is, they do not escape cultivation at all.