Tag: invasive plants

Understanding Plant Status: Native, Florida-Friendly, and Invasive Species

by Tia Saracino
May 19, 2026

There is a lot of confusion about plant status and it's important to know the plant status so you can make the best decisions about selecting the right plants for your landscape. Let's start with some definitions! What is a Florida native ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Florida Native Plants, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Plants, Plant Status

Growing Bamboo in Florida

by Tia Saracino
May 19, 2026

In Florida, we have temperate to tropical climates that allow us to grow many species of bamboo. There are 1,400 of bamboo species in 115 genera worldwide. We also have a Florida native bamboo species, called switchcane (Arundinaria gigantea) ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Bamboo, Central Florida, Clumping, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Home Landscapes, Invasive Plants, Propagation, Running, Tsilvasy

Want to avoid planting invasives in your yard? Check this UF/IFAS website first

by Lourdes Mederos
May 19, 2026

Highlights Ever wonder whether the plants you choose for your yard, especially non-native ones, might harm Florida’s natural areas? The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) offers a free website ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Biodiversity, Conservation, Detection, Floridians, Invasion Science, Invasion Science Institute, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, ISI, Luke Flory, Master Gardener Volunteer, Natural Areas, News, Non-native Plants, Ports, Ports Of Entry, Risk, Safeguard Ecosystems, Seokmin Kim, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Assessment Of Non-Native Plants In Florida's Natural Areas, Wildlife

MEDIA ALERT: Florida 4-H youth, partners empower students in native plant restoration at Fern Forest on March 6

by Lourdes Mederos
May 19, 2026

What: Broward Native Plant Propagation Project: A Florida 4-H Broward County pilot initiative Where: Fern Forest Nature Center, 201 Lyons Road South, Coconut Creek When: Thursday, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Conservation, Curriculum, Farm Management, Invasive Species, Livestock, Professional Development, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: 4-H, Field Base Research, Invasive Plants, News, Nonnative, Plants, Professional Development, STEM, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County 4-H, Youth

Plant this not that: a new guide to protect Florida

by Tory Moore
May 19, 2026

Florida’s climate makes a cozy environment for a variety of plant species. The downside is that invasive and potentially destructive species often try to call Florida home, too. A new guide developed by UF/IFAS Extension Seminole County outlines ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Invasive, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, Invasives

Where do invasive species spread and why? UF/IFAS researchers take a novel approach to find the answer

by Lourdes Mederos
May 19, 2026

Science tells us invasive species — like the spotted tilapia — are always on the move, making it difficult for scientists to simulate their spread and predict where they will go next. Researchers at the University of Florida Institute ... READ MORE

Category: Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Climate, Environmental Resistance Modeling, ER Modeling, Invasion Science Research Institute, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, Journal Of Biogeography, News, Plants, Tegu, Temperature, Tilapia, UF-IFAS, Yunpeng Liu

UF scientist helps perfect tool to reduce invasive species worldwide

by Brad Buck
May 19, 2026

A University of Florida scientist is working with a global research team to help control plants, animals and fish before they become invasive. To do this, resource managers first need protocols. In addition to preserving natural, native fishing ... READ MORE

Category: Invasive Species
Tags: Aquatic Invasives, Fisheries, Global, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, Jeff Hill, Protocols, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory

Non-native Invasive Plants Common to Central Florida

by Tia Saracino
May 19, 2026

Part of having a Florida-Friendly landscape is following principle #1, Right Plant, Right Place. Criteria for being the right plant for the right place include: • Suitable for our climate (Central Florida is USDA Hardiness Zone 9B) • ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Central Florida, Exotic Invasive, Florida Friendly, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Home Landscape, Horticulture, Invasive Plants, Landscape Management, Ocextension, Plants, Trees, Tsilvasy

Lakefront and Aquatic Landscaping

by Tia Saracino
May 19, 2026

Protecting the waterfront is Principle #9 in Florida-Friendly Landscaping. Waterfront areas can include lakefronts, ponds, ditches, other water bodies and environmentally sensitive areas. So, what makes a nice aquatic landscape?• Full of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Aquatic, Central Florida, Ditch, Florida Friendly, Invasive Plants, Lake, Lakefront, Landscape, Ocextension, Plants, Pond, Waterfront, Wildlife

Golden Rain Tree: The Allure of the Invasive Intruder

by Heather Kalaman
May 19, 2026

It is officially fall in Florida. Temperatures are dropping, the holidays are just around the corner, and *gasp* the notorious golden rain trees have finally set fruit! Oh, you know the one. Adorned with sprawling limbs covered in peach-colored, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Ornamentals, Invasive Plants, Ornamentals, Residential Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County

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