62C-52.011 Prohibited Aquatic Plants

The prohibited aquatic plants listed below are a listing that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Bureau of Aquatic Plant Management established to prevent the spread or introduction and dissemination of exotic, invasive aquatic plants.  The plants are prohibited for sale and cannot be sold or transported within the United States.  If a person wishes to collect or transport any of the aquatic invasive plants on the prohibited list, they must obtain a permit from the DEP, Bureau of Invasive Plant Management. 

The researchers working on the Hydrilla and Hygrophila Demonstration Grant have obtained such permits in order to legally collect and transport hydrilla, hygrophila and other aquatic invasive plants for research purposes.  Researchers must also take great care not to disrupt other plants when collecting and they must dispose of plant material properly so as to prevent the spread of the aquatic plants.

View as a pdf file.

(1) Class I Prohibited Aquatic Plants -- Under no circumstances will these species be permitted for possession, collection, transportation, cultivation, and importation except as provided in Rule 62C-52.004, F.A.C.:
SCIENTIFIC NAMES - COMMON NAMES

(2) Class II Prohibited Aquatic Plants -- These species are considered to be highly invasive and noxious in localized areas of the State of Florida. These plants may be cultured in a nursery regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services pursuant to s. 581.031, 581.131, and 581.145, F.S., and shall only be sold out of state upon approval by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. These species shall not be imported or collected from the wild. They must be contained in such a manner so as to prevent the dissemination from the nursery premises.
SCIENTIFIC NAMES - COMMON NAME

(3) The department is authorized to designate additional plants to be prohibited by emergency order as provided in Rule 62C-52.012, F.A.C.
(4) The prohibited aquatic plant list comprises the most recent and accepted scientific and common names of the prohibited aquatic plant species. However, the prohibited status also applies to any synonyms.
(5) The department is authorized to consider a plant for inclusion on the prohibited plant list when it displays, or when there is scientific evidence to believe it could display in the Florida environment, one or more of the following characteristics:
(a) The tendency to spread or become invasive in an ecosystem, sometimes in a rapid manner, so as to impair the ecosystem's ability to function by altering its productivity, decomposition, water fluxes, nutrient cycling and loss, soil fertility, erosion, dissolved oxygen concentrations, or its ability to maintain its existing species diversity.
(b) The propensity to invade and disrupt aquatic and wetland ecosystems in other areas or in other countries with climates similar to that of Florida.
(c) The ability to create dense, monospecific stands or monotypic stands which displace or destroy native plant habitat, destroy fish and wildlife habitats, inhibit water circulation, hinder navigation and irrigation, or severely restrict the recreational use of waterways.
(d) The ability to resist effective management by present technology or available management agents so that only extraordinary efforts, such as repeated chemical treatments at high dosage rates, can bring about effective management.
Specific Authority 369.25, 369.251 FS.
Law Implemented 369.25, 369.251 FS.
History--New 8-11-86, Amended 6-13-93, Formerly 16C-52.011.