Florida is no stranger to invasive plant species and keeping up with the list of non-native plants that not only like to call Florida home, but also like to take over both natural and disturbed land areas, is no small task! The UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas uses literature-based assessment tools to evaluate the invasion risk of non-native plants in Florida, as well as new species, hybrids and cultivars proposed for introduction. The objective of the invasive assessment process is to reduce non-native plant invasions in Florida and throughout the Southeast US, for protection of natural and agricultural areas.*

Updated results in early 2025 for the assessment of non-native plant species ‘high invasion’, ‘cautionary’, and ‘low invasion’ risk in North, Central, and South, Florida included the following plants:

• High invasion risk:
  • Passiflora quadrangularis Giant granadilla
  • Dieffenbachia seguine
  • Chlorophytum comosumSpider Plant
  • Dissotis rotundifolia Spanish shawl (South Florida)
• Caution list (Central/North FL)
  • Dissotis rotundifolia Spanish shawl
• Low invasion risk:
  • Nephrolepis obliterate Australian sword fern
  • Neomarica gracilis Walking Iris
  • Dais cotinifolliaPompom Tree
• Not a problem species (documented, previously undocumented):
  • Ficus benghalensisBanyan tree

*Learn more at: https://assessment.ifas.ufl.edu/assessments/

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