FLEPPC 2011 List of Invasive Plant Species – Summer/Fall 2011

1

Does not include Ficus microcarpa subsp. fuyuensis, which is sold as “Green Island Ficus”

FLEPPC Gov. Reg.

Scientific Name Common Name Cat. List Dist.

Abrus precatorius rosary pea I N C, S

Acacia auriculiformis earleaf acacia I C, S

Albizia julibrissin mimosa, silk tree I N, C

Albizia lebbeck woman’s tongue I C, S

Ardisia crenata (A. crenulata misapplied) coral ardisia I N, C, S

Ardisia elliptica (A. humilis misapplied) shoebutton ardisia I N C, S

Asparagus aethiopicus (A. sprengeri; asparagus-fern I N, C, S

A. densiflorus misapplied)

Bauhinia variegata orchid tree I C, S

Bischofia javanica bishopwood I C, S

Calophyllum antillanum santa maria, mast wood, Alexandrian laurel I S

(C. calaba and C. inophyllum misapplied)

Casuarina equisetifolia Australian-pine, beach sheoak I P, N N, C, S

Casuarina glauca suckering Australian-pine, gray sheoak I P, N C, S

Cinnamomum camphora camphor tree I N, C, S

Colocasia esculenta wild taro I N, C, S

Colubrina asiatica lather leaf I N S

Cupaniopsis anacardioides carrotwood I N C, S

Deparia petersenii Japanese false spleenwort I N, C

Dioscorea alata winged yam I N N, C, S

Dioscorea bulbifera air-potato I N N, C, S

Eichhornia crassipes water-hyacinth I P N, C, S

Eugenia uniflora Surinam cherry I C, S

Ficus microcarpa (F. nitida and laurel fig I C, S

F. retusa var. nitida misapplied)1

Hydrilla verticillata hydrilla I P, U N, C, S

Hygrophila polysperma green hygro I P, U N, C, S

Hymenachne amplexicaulis West Indian marsh grass I N, C, S

Imperata cylindrica (I. brasiliensis misapplied) cogon grass I N, U N, C, S

Ipomoea aquatica water-spinach I P, U C

Jasminum dichotomum Gold Coast jasmine I C, S

Jasminum fluminense Brazilian jasmine I C, S

Lantana camara (= L. strigocamara) lantana, shrub verbena I N, C, S

Ligustrum lucidum glossy privet I N, C

Ligustrum sinense Chinese privet, hedge privet I N, C, S

Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle I N, C, S

Ludwigia peruviana Peruvian primrosewillow I N, C, S

Lumnitzera racemosa kripa; white-flowered mangrove; black mangrove I S

Luziola subintegra Tropical American water grass I S

Lygodium japonicum Japanese climbing fern I N N, C, S

Lygodium microphyllum Old World climbing fern I N, U C, S

Purpose of the List: To focus attention on —

4the adverse effects exotic pest plants have on Florida’s biodiversity and native plant communities,

4the habitat losses in natural areas from exotic pest plant infestations, 

4the impacts on endangered species via habitat loss and alteration, 

4the need for pest-plant management, 

4the socio-economic impacts of these plants (e.g., increased wildfires or flooding in certain areas), 

4changes in the severity of different pest plant infestations over time, 

4providing information to help managers set priorities for research and control programs.

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council’s 

2011 List of Invasive Plant Species

CATEGORY I

Invasive exotics that 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.

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 includes Florida.

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 aquatic plant

by the Florida Department of

Agriculture and Consumer

Services; 

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.):

N = north, C = central,

S = south, referring to each

species’ current distribution in

general regions of Florida (not

its potential range in the state).

Please refer to the map below.
Macfadyena unguis-cati cat’s claw vine I N, C, S

Manilkara zapota sapodilla I S

Melaleuca quinquenervia melaleuca, paper bark I P, N, U C, S

Melinis repens (= Rhynchelytrum repens) Natal grass I N, C, S

Mimosa pigra catclaw mimosa I P, N, U C, S

Nandina domestica nandina, heavenly bamboo I N, C

Nephrolepis brownii (= N. multiflora) Asian sword fern I C, S

Nephrolepis cordifolia sword fern I N, C, S

Neyraudia reynaudiana Burma reed, cane grass I N S

Nymphoides cristata snowflake I C, S

Paederia cruddasiana sewer vine, onion vine I N S

Paederia foetida skunk vine I N N, C, S

Panicum repens torpedo grass I N, C, S

Pennisetum purpureum Napier grass I N, C, S

Phymatosorus scolopendria serpent fern, wart fern I S 

Pistia stratiotes water-lettuce I P N, C, S

Psidium cattleianum (= P. littorale) strawberry guava I C, S

Psidium guajava guava I C, S

Pueraria montana var. lobata (= P. lobata) kudzu I N N, C, S

Rhodomyrtus tomentosa downy rose-myrtle I N C, S

Rhynchelytrum repens (See Melinis repens)

Ruellia simplex2 Mexican petunia I N, C, S

Salvinia minima water spangles I N, C, S

Sapium sebiferum (= Triadica sebifera) popcorn tree, Chinese tallow tree I N N, C, S

Scaevola taccada scaevola, half-flower, beach naupaka I N C, S

(= Scaevola sericea, S. frutescens)

Schefflera actinophylla schefflera, Queensland umbrella tree I C, S

(= Brassaia actinophylla)

Schinus terebinthifolius Brazilian-pepper I P, N N, C, S

Scleria lacustris Wright’s nutrush I C, S

Senna pendula var. glabrata climbing cassia, Christmas cassia, I C, S

(= Cassia coluteoides) Christmas senna

Solanum tampicense (= S. houstonii) wetland nightshade, aquatic soda apple I N, U C, S

Solanum viarum tropical soda apple I N, U N, C, S

Syngonium podophyllum arrowhead vine I N, C, S

Syzygium cumini jambolan plum, Java plum I C, S

Tectaria incisa incised halberd fern I S

Thespesia populnea seaside mahoe I C, S

Tradescantia fluminensis small-leaf spiderwort I N, C

Urena lobata Caesar’s weed I N, C, S

Urochloa mutica (= Brachiaria mutica) Para grass I C, S

CATEGORY II

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.

FLEPPC Gov. Reg.

Scientific Name Common Name Cat. List Dist

Adenanthera pavonina red sandalwood II S

Agave sisalana sisal hemp II C, S

Aleurites fordii (= Vernicia fordii) tung oil tree II N, C

Alstonia macrophylla devil tree II S

Alternanthera philoxeroides alligator weed II P N, C, S

Antigonon leptopus coral vine II N, C, S

Ardisia japonica Japanese ardisia II N

Aristolochia littoralis calico flower II N, C, S

Asystasia gangetica Ganges primrose II C, S

Begonia cucullata wax begonia II N, C, S

New Listings to Category I:

Deparia petersenii 

(Japanese false spleenwort)

Documented in numerous near

exotic-free ravines in the central

panhandle, it is displacing native flora

and likely insect populations because

it forms extremely dense colonies.

Documented in seven Florida counties.

Lumnitzera racemosa

(black mangrove)

This Asian mangrove has spread

abundantly following plantings at

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden	

in Miami-Dade County between 1966

and 1971. The species subsequently

spread into mangrove forests at

Fairchild and the adjacent Matheson

Hammock Park, infesting 19 acres

with stem densities exceeding that of

native mangrove species. Looks very

similar to the protected native white

mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa).

Phymatosorus scolopendria 

(serpent fern, wart fern)

This fern, native to tropical Asia,

Africa, and Polynesia, has been

documented naturalizing in three

south Florida counties. It is invading

rockland hammocks and forested

wetlands where it displaces native

understory species including

endangered ferns.

New Listings to Category II:

Ardisia japonica (Japanese ardisia)

Ardisia japonica is a plant species

from Japan. Thirteen populations

have been located in San Felasco

Hammock in Alachua County, two

more at the Loblolly Nature Center

in Gainesville, and another one

containing 3,000 to 4,000 plants

in Florida Caverns State Park in

the Florida panhandle. All of the

infestations are in undisturbed mature

upland hardwood forest with healthy,

diverse ground cover that is displaced

as it spreads by underground

rhizomes. Fruits collected from

these populations produced viable

seedlings.

FLEPPC 2011 List of Invasive Plant Species – Summer/Fall 2011

FLEPPC Gov. Reg.

Scientific Name Common Name Cat. List Dist.

2

Many names are applied to this species in Florida because of a complicated taxonomic and nomenclatural history. Plants cultivated in Florida, all

representing the same invasive species, have in the past been referred to as Ruellia brittoniana, R. tweediana, R. caerulea, and R. simplex.

Changes to 

the 2011 List:
Blechum pyramidatum (see Ruellia blechum)

Broussonetia papyrifera paper mulberry II N, C, S

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza large-leaved mangrove II S 

Callisia fragrans inch plant, spironema II C, S

Callistemon viminalis (= Melaleuca viminalis) bottlebrush, weeping bottlebrush II C, S

Casuarina cunninghamiana river sheoak, Australian-pine II P C, S

Cecropia palmata trumpet tree II S

Cestrum diurnum day jessamine II C, S

Chamaedorea seifrizii bamboo palm II S

Clematis terniflora Japanese clematis II N, C

Cocos nucifera coconut palm II S

Cryptostegia madagascariensis rubber vine II C, S

Cyperus involucratus umbrella plant II C, S

(C. alternifolius misapplied)

Cyperus prolifer dwarf papyrus II C, S

Dactyloctenium aegyptium Durban crowfootgrass II N, C, S

Dalbergia sissoo Indian rosewood, sissoo II C, S

Elaeagnus pungens silverthorn, thorny olive II N, C

Elaeagnus umbellata silverberry, autumn olive II N

Epipremnum pinnatum cv. Aureum pothos II C, S

Ficus altissima false banyan, council tree II S

Flacourtia indica governor’s plum II S

Hemarthria altissima limpo grass II C, S

Hibiscus tiliaceus (See Talipariti tiliaceum) 

Hyparrhenia rufa jaragua II N, C, S

Ipomoea carnea ssp. fistulosa (= I. fistulosa) shrub morning-glory II P C, S

Kalanchoe pinnata (= Bryophyllum pinnatum) life plant II C, S

Koelreuteria elegans ssp. formosana flamegold tree II C, S

 (= K. formosana; K. paniculata misapplied) 

Landoltia punctata (= Spirodela punctata) Spotted duckweed II N, C, S

Leucaena leucocephala lead tree II N N, C, S

Limnophila sessiliflora Asian marshweed II P, U N, C, S

Livistona chinensis Chinese fan palm II C, S

Melia azedarach Chinaberry II N, C, S

Melinis minutiflora Molassesgrass II C,S

Merremia tuberosa wood-rose II C, S

Mikania micrantha mile-a-minute vine II N, U S

Murraya paniculata orange-jessamine II S

Myriophyllum spicatum Eurasian water-milfoil II P N, C, S

Panicum maximum (= Urochloa maxima, Guinea grass II N, C, S

 Megathyrsus maximus)

Passiflora biflora two-flowered passion vine II S

Pennisetum setaceum green fountain grass II S

Phoenix reclinata Senegal date palm II C, S

Phyllostachys aurea golden bamboo II N, C

Pittosporum pentandrum Philippine pittosporum, Taiwanese cheesewood II S

Pteris vittata Chinese brake fern II N, C, S

Ptychosperma elegans solitaire palm II S

Rhoeo spathacea (see Tradescantia spathacea)

Ricinus communis castor bean II N, C, S

Rotala rotundifolia roundleaf toothcup, dwarf Rotala, redweed II S

Ruellia blechum green shrimp plant, Browne’s blechum II N, C, S

Sansevieria hyacinthoides bowstring hemp II C, S

Sesbania punicea purple sesban, rattlebox II N, C, S

Solanum diphyllum two-leaf nightshade II N, C, S

FLEPPC 2011 List of Invasive Plant Species – Summer/Fall 2011

FLEPPC Gov. Reg.

Scientific Name Common Name Cat. List Dist. Bruguiera gymnorrhiza 

(large-leaved mangrove)

This mangrove from the Old World

tropics is established at the Kampong, a

botanical garden in Miami-Dade County

where it was planted in 1940. The

leaves and propagules of this species

bear a strong resemblance to the native

red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). In

a 2008 survey it was found naturalized

in mangrove forest on the property,

where 86 individuals were observed and

recruitment rates were higher than for

native species. There is a strong chance

that it will disperse to other nearby

mangrove forests.

Cocos nucifera (coconut palm)

Coconut palm, ubiquitous along Florida’s

coastlines, is thought to be native to the

Malay Peninsula or the South Pacific.

This species has been found invading

beach dune and coastal grassland

communities in extreme south Florida

and the Florida Keys. Plants form thick

clusters and shed leaves that form

dense layers on the ground, displacing

native species. Impacted species

include the federally threatened Garber’s

spurge (Chamaesyce garberi) in the

Cape Sable area of Everglades National

Park and nickerbean (Caesalpinia 

bonduc), the host plant for the

endangered Miami Blue butterfly at

Bahia Honda State Park.

Mikania micrantha

(mile-a-minute vine)

This vine of the American tropics is

listed on the Federal Noxious Weed

List because of invasiveness in other

tropical regions. M. micrantha was first

observed in Florida in 2008 in MiamiDade County. It has since been observed

at over two dozen sites throughout the

Redland area of Miami-Dade County. It

is primarily associated with agricultural

sites, particularly container nurseries

and tree farms, but has been found

within the interiors of two rockland

hammock fragments. It is a threat to

other natural areas in Miami-Dade

County, and poses a very high risk of

dispersing to other counties.

Syzygium jambos 

(Malabar plum, rose apple)

This species was downgraded from the

Category II list in 2009 because of a

lack of data in EDDMapS, herbaria, and

observations of committee members.

However, data compiled by FNAI shows

62 records in 9 counties in mesic and

wet flatwoods, basin and floodplain

wetlands. It has been reinstated as a

Category II.

Category Changes

Jasminum sambac and Solanum 

jamaicense removed from Category II

based on lack of data in natural areas.

Urena lobata moved from Category II to

Category I.
Solanum torvum susumber, turkey berry II N, U N, C, S

Sphagneticola trilobata (= Wedelia trilobata) wedelia II N, C, S

Stachytarpheta cayennensis (= S. urticifolia) nettle-leaf porterweed II S

Syagrus romanzoffiana queen palm II C, S

(= Arecastrum romanzoffianum)

Syzygium jambos Malabar plum, rose-apple II N, C, S

Talipariti tiliaceum (= Hibiscus tiliaceus) mahoe, sea hibiscus II C, S

Terminalia catappa tropical-almond II C, S

Terminalia muelleri Australian-almond II C, S

Tradescantia spathacea oyster plant II S

(= Rhoeo spathacea, Rhoeo discolor)

Tribulus cistoides puncture vine, burr-nut II N, C, S

Vitex trifolia simple-leaf chaste tree II C, S

Washingtonia robusta Washington fan palm II C, S

Wedelia (see Sphagneticola above) 

Wisteria sinensis Chinese wisteria II N, C

Xanthosoma sagittifolium malanga, elephant ear II N, C, S

Citation example: 

FLEPPC. 2011. List of Invasive Plant Species. Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. Internet: http://www.fleppc.org/list/11list.

htm or Wildland Weeds Vol. 14(3-4):11-14. Summer/Fall 2011.

The 2011 list was prepared by the FLEPPC Plant List Committee:

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

(305) 247-6547, bradley@regionalconservation.org

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

(305) 664-8455, Janice.Duquesnel@dep.state.fl.us

David W. Hall, Private Consulting Botanist, 3666 NW 13th Place, Gainesville, FL 32605, (352) 375-1370 

Roger L. Hammer, Retired Naturalist and Author, 17360 Avocado Drive, Homestead, FL 33030, kaskazi44@comcast.net

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

(954) 357-8137, phowell@broward.org

Colette C. Jacono, USDA/APHIS/PPQ, 1911 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608, (352) 258-4458, Colette.C.Jacono@aphis.usda.gov

Kenneth A. Langeland, University of Florida-IFAS, Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, 7922 NW 71st St., Gainesville, FL 32653, 

(352) 392-9614, gator8@ufl.edu

Chris Lockhart, Florida Natural Areas Inventory, c/o P.O. Box 243116, Boynton Beach, FL 33424-3116, (561) 738-1179, 

chris@lockharts.org

Gil Nelson, Gil Nelson Associates, 157 Leonard’s Dr., Thomasville, GA 31792, gil@gilnelson.com

Robert W. Pemberton, Research Associate, Florida Museum of Natural History and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 

2121 SW 28th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, rpemberton5@gmail.com

Jimi L. Sadle, Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, (305) 242-7806, Jimi_Sadle@nps.gov

Robert W. Simons, 1122 SW 11th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601-7816

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, 

(813) 974-2359, rwunder@cas.usf.edu

FLEPPC Database – The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Database contains over 211,000 sight records of infestations of 

FLEPPC Category I and Category II species in Florida public lands and waters. 143 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 highways 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.eddmaps.

org/florida/. 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 University of Florida Herbarium collection catalog, 

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herbarium/cat/, and image gallery, http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herbarium/cat/imagesearch.asp; 

at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Virtual Herbarium, www.virtualherbarium.org/vhportal.html, The Robert K. 

Godfrey Herbarium at Florida State University, http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu/index.php; the University of Florida’s IFAS 

Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu, and the USDA PLANTS database, http://plants.usda.gov/. 

Please note that greater success and accuracy in searching for plant information is likely if you search by scientific name 

rather than common name. Common names often vary in cultivation and across regions.

www.fleppc.org FLEPPC 2011 List of Invasive Plant Species – Summer/Fall 2011

The FLEPPC List of Invasive

Plant Species is not a regulatory

list. Only those plants listed

as Federal Noxious Weeds,

Florida Noxious Weeds or in

local ordinances are regulated

by law. 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. 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, or

http://www.fleppc.org/list/list.htm

Use of the 

FLEPPC List 

NOTE: Not all exotic plants

brought into Florida become

pest plants in natural areas.

The FLEPPC List of Invasive

Plant Species represents only

about 11% of more than 1,400

exotic species that have been

introduced into Florida and

have 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 don’t escape cultivation

at all.

FLEPPC Gov. Reg.

Scientific Name Common Name Cat. List Dist.