This blog was written by Anelise Bullard, UF/IFAS CAIP communications intern.

Nonnative and invasive plant lists help communicate species that are harmful to agriculture, natural resources, and/or ecosystems. Species are listed in order to prevent their spread, limit their impacts, and protect our local ecosystems and economy. There are five lists that many people come across for this information, and it can be overwhelming to know what each list means. In this blog, we’ll review three of the five lists that help regulate the movement of invasive plants at the national and state levels.

1. Federal Noxious Weed List
   

   Any transport, whether foreign or domestic, of invasive plants on this list is illegal. Plants on this list include hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) and giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta).

2. Florida Noxious Weed List
   

   Regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), the possession, transport, or introduction of invasive plants on this list within the state is illegal without a permit. Plants include air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) and coral ardisia (Ardisia crenata).

3. Florida Prohibited Aquatic Plant List
   

   

   This list was originally created by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) but is now under FDACS. There are two classes under this list:
   
   Class I: Subject to the same rules as plants on the Florida Noxious Weed List. Examples include alligatorweed (Alternathera philoxeroides) and melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia).

   Class II: Plants can be grown by nurseries with state-issued permits and can only be sold to customers outside of the state. An example is water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes).

These three nonnative and invasive plant lists are regulatory and help agencies, professionals, and citizens manage their movement and spread. The two lists we’ll cover in our next blog (UF/IFAS Assessment and Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISC) Plant List) are recommendations of what should and should not be introduced to the state. Utilizing these lists and recommendations can help reduce the risk of invasion in Florida and beyond. Stay tuned to learn more about the recommendation lists! 

Helpful Resources

•  “Lost in the Weeds? A Comprehensive Guide to Florida’s Many Non-Native Plant Lists” AskIFAS (EDIS)
• Federal Noxious Weed List
• Florida Noxious Weed List
• Federal Noxious Weed Program
• Florida Noxious Weed Program
• Florida Prohibited Aquatic Plants Program

Questions or comments can be sent to the UF/IFAS CAIP communications manager at caip@ifas.ufl.edu. Follow UF/IFAS CAIP on Instagram. 

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UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Turning Science Into Solutions.

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