Florida’s Most Invasive Aquatic Plants
Florida has one of the largest concentrations of water in the world. With over 300 natural springs, about 7,700 lakes, and countless rivers and streams water is a vital part of the state’s environment. Plants play an important role in keeping these waterbodies in balance. However, while some plants knit this diverse environment together, others attempt to take over and reduce biodiversity. These problematic plants are called invasive.
Research shows that many invasive plants found in Florida will never be eradicated; they simply grow too fast. Instead, they become our responsibility to regularly manage for the sake of Florida’s precious natural resources. Explore this section of our website to learn more about native aquatic and terrestrial plants; as well as non-native invasive plants and why we manage them.
Ninety-six percent of the Florida public waters inventoried in 2017 contained one or more non-native plants. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission considers 18 of the 26 non-native aquatic plants found in Florida’s public waters to be invasive.
Below are some of the most common and troublesome invasive plants in Florida.