UF/IFAS GLOBAL BLOGS
Q: Could you help me determine the name of the plant that just appeared in my garden one day in late summer? It had interesting foliage so I let it grow. It may be an invasive weed but… Read More
Air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is a vine in the true yam family native to Africa, south Asia, and northern Australia. It was introduced to the United States via the slave trade and reached Florida in 1905. Air potato… Read More
Japanese climbing fern (Lygodium japonicum) is a perennial climbing fern native to East Asia. It was introduced to the southeastern U.S. as an ornamental in the early 1900s. Despite its attractive appearance, Japanese climbing fern is a Category… Read More
Even the best prevention efforts cannot stop all invasive species but Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is a critical second defense against the establishment of new invasive species populations. EDRR increases the likelihood that localized invasive populations will… Read More
from S.H., in North Fort Myers Answer: Florida is home to many exotic invasive plants. The air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is one of many. Control of exotic/invasive plants can be difficult and tiring. There are several methods of… Read More
The toughest part of wrangling a Burmese python is not pinning it down, but getting the entire 7-foot long snake into the cotton snake bag, said Ellen Butler, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences… Read More
When Kenny Coogan, a seventh-grade science teacher at Orange Grove Middle Magnet School, took an airboat ride on Lake Tohopekaliga and saw the devastation caused by invasive plants, he knew he had to bring this information back to… Read More
What is it? The Argentine black and white tegu is a large lizard native to South America. This species was brought to Florida, where it was kept and sold as a pet. When these pets escaped into the… Read More
Did you know that our economy and natural environment are under siege by plant and animal invaders? Invasions of exotic (non-native) species cost Floridians over $500 million each year! Our public lands, parks and preserves are very vulnerable… Read More
This year National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW) runs from February 21-27th. If you’re not quite sure what an invasive species is, there is no better time than NISAW to find out! There are many definitions for invasive… Read More
